Mamata Banerjee emerges as key player in Federal Front

Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee’s grand swearing-in ceremony on Friday for her second term, attended by top Opposition leaders, has reignited the prospect of a Federal Front. Ms Banerjee has clearly emerged as one of its leading faces, along with JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar, ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Ms Banerjee herself told the media, after being sworn in as CM again before a huge audience on Kolkata’s iconic Red Road, that “I was the first to float the idea of a federal front”. Her importance in national politics was evident from the presence of several Opposition CMs at the ceremony — Bihar’s Nitish Kumar, UP’s Akhilesh Yadav and Delhi’s Arvind Kejriwal, besides RJD boss Lalu Prasad Yadav and NC’s Farooq Abdullah.

PM Narendra Modi sent finance minister Arun Jaitley and MoS Babul Supriyo to represent the Centre. This despite the fact that state BJP leaders boycotted the ceremony, along with leaders of the Left and Congress in West Bengal. Mr Modi tweeted Friday: “Congratulations to @Mamataji & her team on taking oath. Looking forward to working closely with the WB Govt for the state’s growth.” The Modi government hopes to get Ms Banerjee’s support, and that of AIADMK chief J. Jayalalithaa, to isolate the Congress and Left on the GST Bill issue in the Rajya Sabha.

“Mamata for PM” slogans are already being raised in West Bengal, but Ms Banerjee tried to play down her role, telling a TV channel: “I don’t want to be known as a VIP, but a LIP (Less Important Person).” Eyebrows were raised as she took the oath “in the name of Ishwar and Allah”, deviating a little from the line prescribed in the Constitution, in what observers said was an attempt to re-emphasise her secular credentials.

Trinamul boss and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee is looking at the possible formation of a Federal Front along with JD(U)’s Nitish Kumar, RJD’s Lalu Prasad Yadav, Biju Janata Dal chief and Orissa CM Naveen Patnaik and AAP chief Arvind Kajriwal. She is said to be wary of other key regional players like the Samajwadi Party, led by Mulayam Singh Yadav, and the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party.

She plans to soon meet Mr Kumar, Mr Patnaik, Mr Lalu Yadav and Mr Kejriwal to prepare the ground for the formation of the front.

The presence of NCP leader farooq Abdullah at Friday’s swearing-in ceremony signalled that he too was willing to throw his weight behind Ms Banerjee. Talking about the Federal Front, Dr Abdullah said: “There are many leaders who can head such a front. Mamataji is one of them.”

Ms Banerjee, though, has always played down the possibility of her leading such a front. When RJD chief Lalu Yadav reportedly asked “Can you become the first Prime Minister from Bengal ” she is said to have quipped: “You people become!”

Mr Lalu Yadav said at the ceremony that all “like-minded secular forces” must join hands to oust the BJP and Sangh Parivar from the Centre. “If we do not wake up now, the BJP and Sangh Parivar will divide the nation,” he said. As the RJD chief was attacking the BJP and Sangh Parivar, finance minister Arun Jaitley passed by while leaving after the ceremony.

When asked if he had discussed the Federal Front issue with Ms Banerjee, Mr Yadav said this was “not the time... Today is a time for celebration”.

Speaking after the ceremony, Ms Banerjee said that a Federal Front was a “good idea”, and added: “This will strengthen ties between states and the Centre.”

In the Rajya Sabha, the TMC has 12 members, Samajwadi Party has 18, BJD eight, RJD three and JD(U) nine MPs. All these parties are favourably inclined towards the GST Bill.

These pro-federalism parties have become more powerful after the Congress’ rapid decline. If the Congress fails to score big in the Punjab and Uttar Pradesh elections, it will have no option but to play second fiddle to the regional players. After its experiment with the Left in West Bengal failed, the Congress has little option but to try and mend fences with Ms Banerjee and try to latch on to her bandwagon for the 2019 general election.