Yet, it is advantage Mamata. Although the alliance is nowhere, piecemeal seat- sharing arrangements can emerge. The pattern of seat sharing is not uniform at all levels. In past municipal elections Trinamool and the Congress have even had understanding with the BJP. But, that is not possible at the Assembly level. So, the Left leaders want to utilise this situation to consolidate strength and gain extra energy for the ensuing Assembly polls. LF chairman Biman Bose has stressed on garnering 50 per cent-plus votes at each booth. Although that is 11 per cent less than that of the last civic body polls in 2005, it is seven per cent higher than that of the last Lok Sabha election. It is tough but that is the goal, Bose admits.
Mamata’s TMC is a one-person show, just like in the case of Mayawati or Jayalalithaa. Since the leader’s decision is the party’s decision, taking a stand is easier. But there is a flip side too. Unquestionable allegiance to the leader functions as a deterrent. The call for change can be a cause of anxiety for Mamata. Her change entails only changing the faces, not in behavioural approach or in governance. Substantive news reports are flowing in regularly from two district Panchayats– South 24 Parganas and Midnapore – ruled by TMC alone. They are repeating the same mistakes which saw the Left booted out. If the TMC supremo ignores these factors, her call for change may boomerang.
In the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, Sonia gave in to Mamata Banerjee’s demands. But 2011 is the year of Mamata’s reckoning. The political path is always slippery. There is no vacuum and Mulayam Singh Yadav is ready to fill the void, so is Lalu Prasad Yadav. Mayawati is always game for a bargain. Mamata’s actual assessment will come in 2011 as she is expected to take the reins of state power. That path will be decided in these civic polls.
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