Satraps unite against Modi Govt

Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, M K Stalin and Mamata Banerjee, had a phone-call on February 13 and reaffirmed their commitment to upholding principles of state autonomy and federalism, which they said were under attack from the BJP-led Union Government. Banerjee proposed a conclave of Chief Ministers of the states ruled by the parties opposed to the BJP and Stalin agreed to take part in it. They also received support from Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, who will meet his Maharashtra counterpart Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai on Sunday. They are expected to take forward the initiative to drum up support from chief ministers of the regional parties to take on the BJP.

While Stalin, Banerjee and Thackeray have been stridently opposed to the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rao is a late entrant to the club. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief not just praised Modi to the hilt during his first tenure as CM of the country’s youngest state from 2014-2018, but had actively supported the Union Government to get several bills passed, particularly in Rajya Sabha.

But the BJP is now posing a threat to the TRS in Telangana, forcing Rao to turn against the saffron party. He has mounted an all-round attack against the Union Government for trying to dilute principles of federalism.

Also Read: CPI(M) wants M K Stalin to take lead role in alliance to fight BJP's 'onslaught' on federalism

Except for Rao, the three chief ministers are also locked in running feuds with the Raj Bhavans in the respective state capitals, alleging undue interference and bias by the governors. Banerjee of late blocked West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Twitter as he was frequently using the social media platform to fault the TMC dispensation in West Bengal. The TMC has been criticizing Dhankhar for consistently interfering in the administration. The Governor had on February 17 asked the Chief Minister to come to Raj Bhavan for an interaction, implying that lack of response from the State Government to issues raised by him “has potential to lead to a constitutional stalemate”.

“The overstepping and (governors) making statements on policy issues affect federal structure,” political analyst Udayan Bandyopadhyay told DH. “Talking with other chief ministers is the political part. Regional leaders are trying to resist the BJP’s attempt to centralise things on different issues like education, taxation, etc. The centralisation is hitting the federal structure.”

While Stalin went soft on the Governor for a while, the DMK broke its silence when Ravi touched the “raw nerve” of the Dravidian politics by “indirectly” batting for the introduction of Hindi in schools.

In his R-day speech, the Governor had said “depriving students of knowledge of “other Indian languages was unfair to all.” Even before the dust could settle on the language row, the Governor returned the NEET bill the Stalin’s Government had got passed in the State Assembly in September 2021 to do away with the system of admissions into the undergraduate medical courses in the state through the NEET. The DMK took a firm stand on the NEET, alleging that it was opposed to the principle of social justice. The state assembly got the bill re-adopted recently. DMK, which has been opposed to the post of Governor, went all guns blazing on Ravi demanding his recall.

Thackeray moved to curtail the powers of Governor B S Koshyari to appoint the vice-chancellors of universities, after the Maha Vikas Aghadi government’s proposal for appointing 12 members of the legislative council was not cleared by the Raj Bhavan for more than a year.

For DMK, now helmed by Stalin, federalism and state autonomy are issues of prime importance since the time the party rode to power in Tamil Nadu in 1967. Stalin is working hard to emerge as the champion of federalism – he has normalised the use of Ondriya Arasu (Union Government) instead of Madhiya Arasu (Central Government) in the state.

Thackeray too appears to be taking a stronger stand against the Modi Government. He recently stated that the Shiv Sena “wasted” 25 years by staying with the BJP. He clearly indicated that his party now wants to be an integral part of an anti-BJP front.

Rao has his own issues to “turn against” Modi as the CM feels Telangana is not being treated on par with BJP-ruled states. His attacks against the BJP are getting sharper each passing day and he has openly called for the saffron party’s defeat in 2024.

Also Read: Didi, KCR and Stalin look to stitch anti-BJP front

‘Parties should find a common ground’

The four chief ministers may eventually succeed in launching a joint front to protest the alleged erosion of federalism by the Modi Government. But it is unlikely to emerge as an electoral alternative against the BJP at the national level, at least in a pre-poll scenario, given the domestic political compulsions of the leaders.

“These parties should continue to work together and find a common ground. The Congress is no longer a stronger force like it was a decade ago. It becomes imperative for regional parties to work out a common agenda,” political commentator Prof Ramu Manivannan told DH.

The DMK, TRS, TMC, Shiv Sena and the Congress are on the “same page” on amendments to IAS (Cadre) Rules, 9154 that “take away” state’s rights and accuse the BJP Government of “encroaching” on the powers vested with state governments on sectors like cooperatives, and registration. Banerjee’s government in West Bengal also opposed the Centre’s move to extend the BSF’s jurisdiction to 50 kilometres along the borders. It was also opposed by the Congress government in Punjab.

The DMK and the Shiv Sena are in alliance with the Congress. Rao is dropping hints of warming up to the grand old party, at least at the national level, if not in Telangana. The TRS MPs attended meetings of opposition parties convened by Congress during the recent sessions of Parliament. Stalin, Thackeray and Rao are not averse to including Congress Chief Ministers in the front they are planning to launch. But what can derail the prospects of the “united front” is Banerjee’s aversion to the Congress. The TMC supremo has repeatedly targeted the Congress in the past few months. “Let Congress go its own way,” she recently said.

Can Banerjee keep the Congress away from a front the regional parties may launch to take on the Modi Government? Bandyopadhyay said that the future strategy would depend much on the outcome of the Uttar Pradesh elections.

“I think Mamata will be successful in her initiative towards forming a regional coalition where regional demands against centralisation and BJP will be integrated to present a political alternative. Also, just a meeting or two will not help. The new coalition will have to reach out to the people. I believe Congress will be part of the bigger coalition. Right now, it is playing alone. It is a stage-by-stage building of the coalition,” he added.

(With inputs from Mohammed Safi Shamsi in Kolkata, and Mrityunjay Bose in Mumbai)

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