Congress, NCP, Sena working to stay together

New Delhi: The budget session of Parliament went off very well from the government’s perspective. But it was disappointing for the opposition. Due to the recent electoral reverses, the opposition looked to be on the backfoot and divided. There was no unity among them on the issue of price rise. The Congress looked isolated completely for the first time, with even allies distancing themselves from the party. Indications already exist that the Congress will not be leading the front which comes into existence before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Its alliance partners such as Shiv Sena and NCP have already hinted at this. They have already initiated efforts to see that a front is put in place.
Amid this, it is also certain that the Maharashtra government led by Shiv Sena will not be toppled by anyone anytime soon. Sources say that Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar will not go with the BJP. His party will continue to support the government with Shiv Sena and Congress. All these three parties are aware of what they will have to suffer if the government falls.
Sharad Pawar’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the budget session triggered speculation about the fate of the Maharashtra government. There were rumours that the NCP might go with the BJP. But sources close to Pawar say that nothing like this is going to happen.
In fact, the NCP, Shiv Sena and the Congress are not in a position to leave the alliance in Maharashtra, given the changing national political scenario. Both Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray know that if they join hands with the BJP, they will have to accept all the conditions of the saffron party. So, both leaders would not like their statures to be compromised.
Similarly, the Congress has no other alternative but to remain in the ruling MVA. The disgruntled leaders have already suggested to Sonia Gandhi that the party should continue to support the government in Mumbai. Congress is under tremendous pressure due to electoral defeats in five states. Even its allies are putting pressures on it not to be obsessed with UPA.
As a result, Sonia Gandhi could not hold any meeting with the leaders of the opposition parties. Congress had to take the issues forward on its own. This happened for the first time. Mamata Banerjee’s TMC went ahead with its own programmes. Mamata Banerjee and Pawar want some other non-UPA front to be formed which is led by a non-Gandhi or non-Congress leader so that a tough challenge could be posed to the NDA in 2024.
TRS chief and Telangana Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao is already exploring the possibility to form such a front separately. He too does not want the Congress to lead any such front. All this goes to suggest that the Congress is isolated. The RJD has already left the UPA. It depends on DMK how long it continues its association with Congress. Shiv Sena and Pawar will continue to be with Congress just to save the Maharashtra government. But what is doubtful is whether they will continue to be in UPA. The fate of the opposition will be known better by the time of the elections to the President and Vice President posts in July. The NDA has enough majority to ensure the victory of its candidates. But it will be interesting to see the developments in the opposition camp.