Modi’s first rally was grand success in Kolkata and the issues which was picked up by him was much matured than his earlier speeches. He said that time has come to bid farewell to the idea of Third Front from Indian politics forever. Ridiculing the idea of a Third Front, Modi said that states ruled by its constituents have remained backward and called upon the people to reject them. In the western states, any Third Front constituent has never been in power. They have existed in the East and deprived it from the development and took the states backward. They have never worked to ensure that fruits of development reached to the Muslims. They have considered them as vote banks. Modi slammed the Left parties at a rally in Kolkata but refrained himself from criticising Mamata Banerjee in a speech that is expected to fuel speculations about a possible alliance between the BJP and Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress. Modi said the people of West Bengal should usher in a parivartan (change) at the Centre in line with what they have done in the state by ousting the Left parties. The BJP is a fringe force in Bengal with only one MP in Darjeeling, where Jaswant Singh won in 2009 with the support of Gorkha Janamukti Morcha. Anyways, it was an awesome speech by Modi in Kolkata, he hit Left, TMC, Third Front, Congress and all pseudo secular thugs in one go. He has given great example of number of Haj applicants from Gujarat and Bengal to portray all round development in Gujarat.
One of the fiercely debated questions in Bengal in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls is whether Banerjee will enter into a tie-up — probably post poll — with the BJP. The Trinamool chief herself has struck a position of equal distance from the Congress and the BJP. She had described the BJP as a ‘party of rioters’ in her address at the same Brigade Parade Ground on January 30. Modi took a dig at the “secular parties” and congratulated the people of Bengal for ushering in a change by handing over the reins to Banerjee in the 2011 assembly elections. He also blamed them for the sufferings of labourers and using the Muslims for reaping political gains. Modi was very much aggressive on third front. It seems there are forces working against him, to prevent him from PM chair. His attack was genuine. Bengal has never been a stronghold of the BJP. Before the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government came to power, the Left parties were at the helm for a period of 34 years. Known to be bitter critics of Modi, Left leaders often turn the heat on the Gujarat chief minister by raking up the 2002 riots. However, there appeared to be a sharp difference between the BJP state national leaders in so far as determining their approach to Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress. This is a critical situation to the people to select a prime minister, who will set clear all the national problems. Unexpectedly, beyond the national parties, some other parties rush forward to form a new government in center without disclosing the name of prime ministerial candidate. The irony is that in that third alliance, some parties which have been formed to uplift their own states are rushing forward to Delhi. What is the motive? Really in general elections, people have to judge the candidates by keeping in mind the national interests.
Let’s assume for an instant that the third front somehow comes into picture and forms the government. There would be complete pandemonium and clash of egos would present an intriguing show. There is a way forward in a non-UPA and non-NDA way. This time to form a third front, there is no credible leader that he can bring various regional parties to fold and prepare common ground for contesting election in order to deliver non-Congress and non-BJP government against the choice of the majority of people. They suddenly emerged and talking about third front that too election is just 2-3 months away. When most of the surveys predicted in favour of NDA and BJP, they wake up and started renewing their old friends for forming third front. Mamata and Maya is not part of the present third front discussion, both of them are going to play a key role post-election. There is a possibility that both clubs together may win nearly 50 MPs enough for them to support NDA to fulfill their wishes. Pawar and Lalu are big names but they have not spoken anything about third front. The same leaders would have started this effort, a year before, would have got good result but now it’s impossible to form.
Instead of working on winning each states and forming a front based on electoral majority is not progressive to attain bipartisanship. If that is the objective of the third front to become a formidable opposition or ruling class then it is not possible as we have seen before. The idea of Third Front is mainly pursued by Mulayam Singh Yadav with the connivance of Left and some regional parties. What a strange mixture it is. Except for the Left, other parties do not have any ideology. Congress party is going to have its lowest tally this time. Aam Aadmi Party is becoming a hot potato. The strange thing is that the type of image AAP has put before the people of India could have done by other parties and individuals too. Left could have done the same but could not because they only indulge in theory and jugglery of words. Even Mulayam’s son Akhilesh Yadav could have done it in UP who came in power with overwhelming majority. The sad part is the personal ambitions of these trifling parties. Indian public are aware of this and they will show them their place. What disappoints me is the failure of the left parties. They could not rise to the occasion when a local Aam Aadmi could do it in one year. This is a pointer to the ethical erosion of values in their rank and file. It also indicates that the lack of trustworthiness in them.
It seems that only option left for the voters is BJP and its prime ministerial candidate Modi.
