The Didi Show

Why Mamata is miffed with Congress

• Would like to deal with Sonia Gandhi directly rather than with Pranab Mukherjee
• Feels the senior UPA partner has begun to take her party for granted on key policy decisions
• Believes she won’t be heard till she makes a noise and holds out threats
• Nothing special has been done for Bengal by UPA: the recent Rs 9,000 crore package is too little
• Wants to be seen as more left than the Left on neo-liberal policies like FDI

Why Congress is miffed with Mamata

• Trinamool Congress moved amendments on Lokpal in Rajya Sabha
• Cut up with plan to rename Indira Bhavan in Calcutta after Bengali poet Nazrul Islam
• Derailed UPA move to introduce FDI in retail; opposes pension reforms
• Noisily sought a rollback of fuel price hike by threatening a pullout
• Embarrassed the prime minister by not accompanying him to Bangladesh on the Teesta water issue

Why Mamata needs Congress

• Dislodged Left parties with Congress help in 2011
• As UPA ally, gets central funds to bail out Bengal
• Wants moratorium on loan of Rs 2,00,000 crore
• Has to consolidate her position and keep Left out

Why Congress needs Mamata

• Can’t be seen cosying up to the Left so soon
• Needs her 19 MPs to pass Union budget and other bills
• Trouble if elections in five states do not shore up UPA tally
• The next general elections are still two years away

“We have differences with the Congress on issues. Of course, we do. Congress in Bengal has still not forgotten it old habit of cosying up to the Left. We abhor the CPI(M).”

Derek O’Brien, Trinamool Rajya Sabha member

“The Trinamool Congress is acting like the B team of the CPI(M) on issues like FDI in retail
and Lokpal.”

Deepa Dasmunshi, Congress Lok Sabha member

Mamata’s gameplan

• Occupy the Left space by adopting a pro-people stance; ensure that there is no room for Left parties to revive
• Test local poll waters (like in Murshidabad shortly) on own and try to marginalise the Congress
• Contest elections in other states but consistently position herself to become a regional satrap
• Aim to increase Trinamool’s Rajya Sabha numbers to get better
  bargaining power with Centre
• Keep channels open with like-minded regional parties and the BJP for the post-2014 poll scenario

Congress’s gameplan

• Now that the Left is out, keep the heat on Trinamool in Calcutta to create a space for itself in Bengal
• Convey to Trinamool that it is playing into Left hands with its consistent opposition
• Keep BJP away from Mamata, earlier an NDA ally, at least till the budget session of Parliament
• Use central funds (Mamata wants Rs 55,000 crore) to keep Trinamool on tenterhooks
• Talk to SP which has 22 MPs and hope for a good Congress showing in UP