Sonia Gandhi still remains the unifying factor in sewing up the anti-BJP alliance and Rahul Gandhi is seen as somebody still learning the ropes. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: After BJP's victory in Tripura and alliances in other Northeast states, the unassailable Narendra Modi-Amit Shah juggernaut has once again made the Opposition parties look at ways of presenting a united face. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi has called a dinner of the Opposition parties on March 13 in a bid to show solidarity against the ruling BJP and make Congress president Rahul Gandhi as an acceptable common face of Opposition in 2019.

In the last nine Assembly elections, the BJP has managed to form government in eight states except Punjab. In some of the states it has got a brute majority while in others its clever political moves ensured that it is part of the ruling alliance. The ruthless pragmatism shown by the BJP has had its opponents scurrying for cover.

The Congress is no stranger to sewing up and running successful alliances. In 1992, the then Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao led a successful minority government with Congress allies. Similar experience of alliance politics was repeated from 2004 to 2014 that was termed as the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.  However, the grand old party has an abysmal record when it comes to supporting an alliance instead of leading it. The experiments with former non-Congress Prime Ministers H.D. Deve Gowda in 1996 and I.K. Gujral in 1997 are examples where the Congress had jettisoned the alliance.

In 1991 also, the Congress had pulled out of the alliance leading to the fall of the Chandrashekhar government. On most occasions, the Congress could get away with the big brother attitude but after the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and with just 44 Lok Sabha MPs, whose number has increased to 48 after by-elections, the Congress has little elbow room to boss over allies. But the Congress showed amazing pragmatism in Bihar by coming up with the grand alliance and defeating the BJP in the Assembly elections. Though, it’s a different matter that within a span of two years the alliance split. It also tied up with the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh but the results were certainly not on expected lines.

Regional parties which are potential allies at the Centre have also started flexing their muscles. Speaking to this newspaper Trinamul Congress MP Sukhendu Shekhar Roy said, “Rahul Gandhi is the newly elected president of the Congress. He is yet to display the ability to have a sort of understanding with like-minded political parties. But I don’t have any idea which are the like-minded political parties to the Congress. Also note, the dinner has been called by Sonia Gandhi, not by Rahul Gandhi. He is yet to unite the like-minded parties.’’ Though the Trinamul Congress was part of the UPA 2 government at the Centre but sparks  flew frequently between the Congress and Trinamul Congress. On a number of occasions,  Mrs Gandhi had to intervene to defuse the situation. Even with close allies like the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party, it was Mrs Gandhi who had to intervene to iron out all differences. Telangana’s ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) had initially started out as an ally of the Congress but serious differences erupted between them about the creation of the new state. In the coming Assembly elections, it is largely going to be a two-way contest in Telangana between these two parties and the Congress also is not inclined to cede its space in another state to regional outfits like it has done in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. At the Centre,  the TRS has made its intentions clear by giving a clarion call for a new outfit sans Congress and the BJP.

“The purpose of Third Front will not serve if the Congress or the BJP is made part of this again. There will be no difference between the new Third front rule or the Congress or BJP rule if both these parties are part of Third Front again,” said Telangana chief minister and TRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao.

Interestingly, the Congress appears to be in no mood to give up its big brother attitude towards regional parties. The Congress feels that it a party with cadres all across the country and it should be given its due place in any Opposition grouping at the Centre.

Party spokesman Sandeep Dikshit said, “The Congress has always stood for liberal values and against authoritarian regimes. In any effort, the party is duty-bound to take the lead.” But the perplexing question still remains at what number of seats in Lok Sabha will the Congress be the natural choice to lead a joint Opposition alliance. At the time of his elevation as Congress president, Mr Gandhi faced the big question of how to deal with allies. Presently, it is Mrs Gandhi who is looking after the allies as chairperson of the UPA. While Mr Gandhi has been given the daunting task of rebuilding the party that needs serious overhauling if it has to come in the reckoning.

Insiders say even if Mr Gandhi is not the hot favourite of the alliance partners, the Congress the party is in no mood to play the second fiddle. The overwhelming demand within the party is that the leadership of the Opposition alliance should remain with the Congress. But Mrs Gandhi still remains the unifying factor in sewing up the anti-BJP alliance and Mr Gandhi is seen as somebody still learning the ropes. “Though the real bargaining between the Congress and its allies will only start when the numbers are on the table. But if the alliance is to stay stable it has to be a UPA-type arrangement,” said a Congress leader.

What do potential allies say
Trinamul Congress
On alliance:  On alliance: So far an Opposition formation is yet to take place. We often hear about dinner diplomacy, but I am unaware how far it can move ahead towards a formation.
On Rahul: Rahul Gandhi is yet to display the ability to have a sort of understanding with like-minded political parties. First of all, we should come close to the river to reach our destination. Next, we should think how we should cross the river. After crossing the river, we will then decide who will lead us.
— Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, Trinamul MP

Shiv Sena
On alliance:  I cannot say anything now. All NDA constituent leaders are in constant touch with the Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. West Bengal chief minister Mamta Banerjee is also in touch with him.
On NDA:  We had the indication that TDP will step out of the Union government. No ally has a good relationship with the BJP anymore.
— Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena MP

Nationalist Cong. Party
On alliance:  The Congress is not making any serious efforts to make an alliance happen.
On Rahul:  It is too early to discuss whether Rahul Gandhi will be accepted as the leader by all. A leader with mass appeal will be accepted by all.
— Nawab Malik, NCP leader

Biju Janata Dal
On alliance: We will continue to maintain equal distance from both the UPA and NDA.
On Rahul: Our leader and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik has said that Rahul has to perform better to be accepted as a national leader
— Tejeswar Parida, BJD spokesman