Mamata Banerjee urges regional parties to unite to defeat UPA

KOLKATA: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee said on Saturday that she does not want a third UPA government in Delhi and urged all regional political parties to come forward to offer the country a stable government at the Centre.

Addressing her party workers at Panihati near Kolkata, Mamata also said that "a change in government in Delhi is urgently required. This government is a total flop. Many of its ministers and leaders are involved in financial scams and other sort of corrupt practices. Let all the regional parties come forward to gift the country a stable and corruption-free government in Delhi."

Mamata's observations can be viewed as her war against the Congress leadership. By asking the regional parties to come forward to form a government in Delhi, Mamata is actually trying to send signals to non-Congress political parties about her hard stand against the Manmohan Singh government. Her observations are also a clear pointer to her stand that she is still averse to any idea of fighting the next parliamentary polls in Bengal without having any tie up with the Congress. However, Mamata remained silent during one and a half hour long speech about the BJP and any possibility over sharing an electoral platform with the party in the ensuing lok sabha polls.

Citing references about Bengal's glorious political history, Mamata also said that "Bengal will lead the country in the days ahead. In the past too, Bengal played a very crucial role in shaping national politics and time has come again when we will dominate the national politics and play a dominant role after the next parliamentary elections."

Even though Saturday's rally was organised to counter CPIM campaigns against her and her party over their alleged nexus with the tainted Saradha group, Mamata has used the platform to send a signal about her rigid stand on the Congress and her future plans to take a lead role in mobilising regional parties to play a crucial role after the next parliamentary polls.

By calling the regional parties to come together, Mamata has practically tried to hijack the CPIM's gameplan. It is the Marxists who have been advocating for a non-Congress non-BJP political combination and formation of a possible third front to capture power in Delhi. Even today, the CPIM is not ruling out the possibility of formation of a third front. But the Marxists have made a subtle change in their previous theory of a third front formation by suggesting that such a coalition can happen after the lok sabha elections are over. "If there is no pre-poll formation of a third front, such a possibility is still valid at the post-poll scenario," a CPIM heavyweight has said on Saturday.

Mamata is well aware of the CPIM's gameplan and has send a signal to leaders like Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati who may not rule out Mamata's move. Even Nitish Kumar may not be averse to Mamata's idea.