TMC-Congress bonhomie hits a rough patch

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been waving red flags on the Congress' policy decisions forcing the latter to back out. And the maverick chief minister's compulsions for doing so are political as well as economical.

Mamata said, "We are opposed to pension reform bill and FDI in retail as it affects the common man."

The bonhomie between the two biggest coalition partners, the Congress and the Trinamool Congress, at the Centre has hit a rough patch.

Congress proposes, Mamata disposes

In September, Mamata Banerjee pulled the plug on the Centre's proposed Teesta water-sharing pact with Bangladesh forcing Manmohan Singh to backtrack.

In November, she waved the red flag on the Centre for raising petrol prices and even threatened to pull her Trinamool Congress party out of the ruling coalition.

And in December, Mamata blocked the Centre's move to allow foreign supermarkets to enter India, forcing the government to postpone it.

Now, with the proposed pension reforms bill yet to be tabled in Parliament, Mamata has placed her opposition to it, on record.

TMC leader Dinesh Trivedi said, "Ultimately whatever we do, we don't do for our individual self, we do because that's what people want and that is what democracy is all about. Democracy is not about single individual or party. Whatever is going on in Parliament is an echo of the people."

Experts feel that Mamata Banerjee is trying to create a unique brand for her party that will differentiate her from the Congress. And she has her own compulsions in West Bengal where issues like FDI in retail despite benefiting the urban consumer and a handful of large farmers could badly hit the majority rural poor who buy their consumables from rural markets.

Economist Abhirup Sarkar said, "In a state like West Bengal, about 75 per cent of the rural population are marginal farmers. So they have to buy from the market. If a giant corporation like WalMart comes to the market and starts buying food grains from the rural market, then prices are going to increase."

Interestingly, TMC's stands differ little from those of her arch rival, the Left.

CPI-M Leader Mohammad Salim said, "To take on the Left in Bengal you have to take certain postures. Trinamool is doing well in projecting itself as more Left than the Left. But that's a luxury when you are in opposition. When in government you have to take certain decisions."

While it is clear that Mamata's focus remains on Bengal's vote bank, she is also desperate to create an identity for her party that's separate from the Congress. It's a tight rope walk for her as a coalition partner in UPA2, but she has also forced the Congress not to take her for granted.

(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)