Another front of non-NDA CMs is planning a meeting soon to discuss State autonomy

The Chief Ministers of non-NDA-ruled States are likely to hold a convention in the national Capital sometime soon. They will discuss the threat posed to the “autonomy of States”. The dramatis personae involved are Mamata Banerjee, MK Stalin and K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR). The latter is supposed to rope in Uddhav Thackeray, too. The reaction to the development is along expected lines. The altruists see it as an attempt to responsibly discuss the lacunae in the federal structure of the country. The sceptics think it is an attempt to forge a national front of regional parties not aligned with the ruling party at the Centre. The development is surely riveting news, considering three strong regional satraps plan to come together on one platform. But it is far from any exercise at forging a national front keeping the 2024 general elections in mind. India saw several fronts in the last three decades. All except two had one thing in common. They were formed after the elections. In 1987, the then Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister NT Rama Rao helped form what eventually became the National Front. In 2018, Mamata and KCR, along with Arvind Kejriwal of Delhi, proposed the Federal Front. Mamata, KCR, and now Stalin, are heading the Opposition convention this time. They may have serious issues to discuss, and there are many, but it is too early to predict the formation of a front for an election that is more than two years away.

It is more a coming together of Chief Ministers who have serious grievances against the Centre, though individually they all pursue their brand of politics. Mamata has a continuous run-in with the West Bengal Governor. A routine order of the Governor proroguing the Assembly also turned controversial when it was claimed he had issued it without the Government knowing. Stalin even tweeted about it in haste. Nevertheless, the two leaders found an opportunity to have a telephone conversation that led to the proposed convention. Mamata, busy dealing with internal party squabbles and facing flak for her electoral outreach in Goa, will see in the convention an opportunity to divert attention from her troubles. Having demolished BJP in West Bengal while being openly critical of Congress, she is yet to clarify how a front of a few regional parties can become an alternative at the Centre without a tie-up with a national party. On his part, Stalin has issues with the Centre over his anti-NEET stand. He too would like to play a larger national role and is looking for opportunities. He writes to the Prime Minister on all national and Tamil Nadu issues and is said to harbour notions of emerging as the voice of the collective Opposition. KCR is an intriguing element among the troika. A vocal supporter of the Prime Minister on demonetisation and GST, he is now a harsh critic as he sees BJP steadily working its way into Telangana.