The Trinamool Congress was absent from the meeting to select the candidates of the opposition camp for the vice-presidential election. Mamata Banerjee’s party did not clarify its position even on the question of support for Margaret Alva after the name of Margaret Alva was fixed as a candidate for the vice-presidential election in the opposition meeting at Sharad Pawar’s house. During the meeting, Pawar made several attempts to talk to Mamata from Delhi. But could not communicate.
About the candidate
Congress leader Margaret Alva served as Union Minister, Governor for a long time. She is female. Christian, consequently a minority. South Indian. She is the opposition’s candidate in the vice-presidential election against NDA’s Jagdeep Dhankhar. According to Congress sources, the name of former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti was already proposed by Mamata Banerjee, although she did not appear in the meeting. She is also a woman, a minority, above all a politician from Jammu and Kashmir. Pawar informed the rest of the meeting. But attempts were made to reach Mamata on phone from the meeting but Pawar failed. Mamata’s office informed that she was busy in a meeting.
Mamata Banerjee proposed Sharad Pawar’s name in the presidential election but he did not agree. Trinamool sources claim that he initially agreed but later backed down. As a result, the Trinamool leader had to face discomfort in the opposition meeting in Delhi. The political camp feels that the Trinamool top leadership has taken ‘sweet revenge’ on remaining silent about the support for Margaret Alva by not attending the meeting at Pawar’s house for the vice-presidential election. The Trinamool camp claimed that Mamata was initially proactive in selecting candidates for the presidential election, but the others later refused to accept it. As no decision was reached in the first meeting, the second meeting gave the impression that it was the first meeting. Trinamool sources also believe that Mamata Banerjee is unlikely to attend any meeting of the opposition in Delhi in the near future.
TMC’s stance
After Sharad Pawar announced Margaret Alva’s name after the opposition meeting on July 17, the Trinamool leadership said that the entire party is now busy preparing for July 21. So no one from Trinamool could attend the opposition meeting. After the July 21 function, Mamata called all MPs for a meeting. There will also be a discussion on the election of the vice president. There will be a decision. The Trinamool is also angry about why it took so long to decide the candidate for the vice president election on right before 21st July.
All in all, the political camp feels that the fractured state of the opposition alliance has become evident again. While the opposition camp will be united around the presidential and vice-presidential elections, it is believed that the formation of the opposition alliance for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections would begin from here. After announcing Alva’s name, Pawar said that a total of 17 parties are supporting Alva.