Saamana Editorial: 'Who will lead the UPA?' is a crucial question

The recent Saamana editorial comments on the need to form a strong opposition, referring to Mamata Banerjee's recent visit to Mumbai and the thoughts she expressed there regarding the situation and need of the UPA in the country. It further gives an insight into the possible role of Congress in the potential coalition of the opposition parties.

Mumbai: In yet another of its elaborate editorials, Saamana has this time put its focus on the need and formation of front by uniting all the opposition parties and the crucial dynamics that need to be considered while forming one. The opinion has come after Mamata Banerjee's recent visit to Mumbai and the statements that she made regarding her thoughts on the formation of strong opposition against the current BJP government.

The editorial highlights that after Banerjee's Mumbai visit, the opposition parties have become comparatively more vocal. It, however, points out that all the opposition parties need to put their individual approaches on the sidetrack and focus on forming a strong coalition against the BJP, otherwise there is no point in contemplating over the fall of the latter. The article further says that it is important to choose a suitable leader and anticipate in advance the leadership and its course. And this would happen only if there's consensus in thoughts on who is capable of leading the opposition.

The article further sheds a light on Mamata Banerjee's political demeanour saying that she fought like a tigress in West Bengal and did not let any other party defeat her on her own land. She skillfully defeated all and any rival that tried to rule and enter her land. It also further highlights that Mamata's politics is not Congress oriented and her still seemingly individual approach that can have a potential aim of keeping Congress away from the national politics will give impetus to the supposedly 'fascist' rule trend that's currently going on. "It is understandable if parties like the BJP want Congress to vanish from the political picture. But, for the opposition parties to contemplate the fall of Congress can poses a grave threat to the fight that the opposition needs to put up to remove BJP from the Centre," it says.

The article also draws focus on the misfortune of Congress quoting that many politicians, who owe their success to Congress, are being critical about it, putting the party at disadvantage. However, unless Congress crosses the 100 mark in the Lok Sabha, there will be no 'game change' at the national level. "Where is the Congress-led UPA in the country?" was the question asked by Mamata Banerjee after coming to Mumbai. This question is priceless in the current situation, the article suggests.

"The UPA does not exist today. In the same way, the NDA does not exist either. Modi's party does not need NDA today. But the opposition needs the UPA. Forming another coalition alternative to the UPA is like strengthening the hands of the BJP. Who will lead the UPA? that is the question," it poses.

"If Priyanka had not reached Lakhimpur Kheri, the case of the killing of farmers would have been hushed up. That is the job of the opposition," notes the article while explaining how Congress may not be as bad as it is being portrayed although its performance in the last 10 years has been worrisome.

Conclusively, the article suggests that there is an ardent need for the opposition parties to arrive at a mutual decision regarding the formation of opposition and the way to lead it and keep their own political agendas out of each others' ways to offer the Centre a strong fight.