Opposition Unity: A Distant Dream

The much-hyped opposition conclave in Patna has turned out to be mere talk as the parties have had to defer the formulation of common minimum programme (CMP) until next month as a result of disunity among various parties. The division in the opposition camp is so deep that the parties have even refrained from issuing the customary joint declaration, a clear indication of indecisiveness. The non-BJP parties that assembled in Bihar's capital have made a mockery of the place from where the late Jai Prakash Narayan had launched his ‘save democracy’  movement which successfully ended the Congress’ uninterrupted dominance over Indian politics for the first time since Independence. It’s a pity but the fact remains that this time the opposition meet could not reach the enthusiasm and support that JP’s movement had generated in the mid-seventies. As per present indications, it seems that the situation will remain unchanged even during the proposed Shimla meet next month, and the meet may likely end by deciding the venue of the next meeting.

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The present political situation in the country is quite different from what it was during past decades. In both the seventies and eighties, the ruling party’s credibility reached a new low due to misrule and charges of corruption. Taking advantage of the situation, all opposition parties then came to a single platform to defeat the Congress. Since then, the political situation in the country has undergone a sea change with the phenomenal rise of BJP. During the last few decades, it was easy for the opposition parties to come together as they had a common political enemy. Now, as all opposition parties have become stronger by opposing the Congress in the past, they have serious reservations about the party, Arvind Kejriwal’s defiance during the meet was a reminder of the same. So the plan of putting common candidates against BJP nominees in the general elections may not become a reality. Secondly, in the past incumbent prime ministers became hugely unpopular, whereas the present Prime Minister still remains very popular amongst the masses. Until the opposition can come up with a suitable face to counter Narendra Modi, their dream of capturing power in the Centre will remain unfulfilled.

Under the current scenario, the opposition parties should concentrate on protecting their own citadels, and not focus only on opposition unity. All non-BJP parties should try to win as many seats as possible to prevent another walkover by the BJP as in the 2019 general elections. In 2019, BJP did very well in opposition-ruled states like Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal by winning 53 seats out of 78 seats in these three states. The opposition can only stop BJP from gaining majority once again by doing well in these three states along with Maharashtra, Karnataka and Bihar as these six states altogether have 194 parliamentary constituencies, which is a little over 35 per cent of the total seats in parliament. The task of opposition unity currently appears to be a distant dream and true unity and sacrifice must be achieved to make it a reality.