TMC hopes to play pivot in uniting secular forces

Seeking to play a major role in national politics post-2019, the TMC wants to unite secular parties against the "divisive politics" of BJP and RSS.
TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee few days back had asked her party leaders to prepare a booklet highlighting the evils of communal politics and dangers of the rise of BJP and RSS throughout the country.
"We want to unite the secular forces and parties across the country. The TMC will play a pivotal role and act as a glue to hold the secular forces together. The booklet will talk about the methods to counter the evils of communalism and divisive politics," a senior TMC leader told PTI.

The draft for the booklet has been prepared and is waiting for the final nod of the top leadership, the leader said.
Apart from the call against communal politics, the booklet will also have details about the achievements of the TMC government, its policies and the Singur land acquisition.
Banerjee had chalked out a three-point programme to counter the rise of the saffron brigade in the state.

The booklet is part of that three point programme to counter these forces as well as conducting small rallies and street corner meeting from November 3- November 11 throughout the state, where the dangers of communalism and the threat BJP-RSS possesses to the state will be highlighted.

TMC sources said the party leadership is keenly awaiting
the outcome of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, as it will indicate in which way the wind is blowing.
"We are waiting for the outcome of the UP polls, as the results will make lot of things clear about which way the wind is blowing. The BJP is fast losing popularity throughout the country, the Congress is still in a mess. There is a still a vacuum in opposition space.
"As time passes, the call for anti-BJP platform will gain momentum. We want to fill that vacuum. After the massive mandate in West Bengal Assembly polls the popularity of TMC is all time high," another senior TMC leader and MP said.

The TMC leader regretted that irrespective of TMC winning 34 Lok Sabha seats in the 2014 polls, the party didn't have any role to play in national politics as BJP on its own managed a majority.
"We couldn't play a major role after 2014. But the situation will not be the same after 2019. Be it a secular front or federal front, the anti-BJP front can't be formed without TMC," the TMC leader said.
The vacuum of the opposition political space is fast being explored by the BJP and other Hindutva forces.
The TMC leadership is, therefore, now facing a challenge from these forces, which it hopes to counter emphatically in days to come.