Trinamool should patch up their differences - Onus of the principal Opposition
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: June 07, 2014 -
Not good for Manipur. That is the emergence of two power centres within the Trinamool Congress.
One christened the Manipur Pradesh Trinamool Congress and asserting that no 'outsiders can appoint MPTC president' and the other side sticking to the stand that the 'New MPTC is unofficial and unauthentic'.
At first glance this may sound like an internal affair of a political party, with its members jostling for the top post, but on closer look, it extends beyond 'the infighting' of a political party.
A look at the political reality should drive home this point.
With the Congress having 47 MLAs in the House of 60 and other political parties like the MPP and BJP drawing blank in the election to the 10th Assembly in 2012, there is all the more need for the non-Congress parties to close ranks and keep a close tab on the functioning of the Congress Government.
With 7 MLAs in its kitty, the Trinamool Congress emerged the second largest political party in the State Assembly and it is only expected that they lead the others in pulling up the Congress Government, whenever they cross the line.
The differences that have emerged within the Trinamool Congress is therefore not a healthy sign for the State at all.
This is not a question of which side is more credible or carries more legitimacy, it is about checks and balances and with the others reduced to political non-entities, as far as its representation in the Assembly is concerned, the onus of leading the non-Congress pack should automatically fall on the second largest party in the Assembly, which is the Trinamool Congress.
With the five MLAs of the MSCP joining the Congress enmasse on the eve of the election to the Lok Sabha, it is all that more important for the Trinamool Congress to put up a united stand, but as things have unfolded, this is unlikely to be so.
One peculiar point about democracy is, the strength of the Government depends to a large extent on the strength of the Opposition.
And so it stands that the stronger and more efficient the Opposition is, the more efficient the Government is.
The observation, 'Not good for Manipur' should be seen in this context and understood.
The differences that have cropped up within the Trinamool Congress may be about the post of the president or it may run deeper than this, that is the manner in which some of the Trinamool MLAs adopted a laid back attitude during the run up to the Lok Sabha polls.
The crux of the issue may lie here, but this is not all for none can do away with the question of personality clash.
Ego is a dicey matter.
A man without ego is as good as dead, but when that ego becomes a problem then it is time for a rethink.
This is what the Trinamool MLAs need to introspect on and study hard.
They may have their differences but in the larger interest of the people and the State, both sides need to take a step or two forward and shake hands and patch up the differences.
They received a good mandate from the people and it is only right that they respect that mandate.
They were elected to serve the people and not indulge in squabbles over some matters within.
And being the second largest party in the Assembly it is only right for the people to expect them to play the role of the Opposition to the hilt.
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