With Growing National Ambitions, TMC and AAP are Taking Different Routes to the Same Goal

In any game or contest, perception plays a very important role. Particularly in a political matchup, perception builds up public support. Therefore, perception is very important for political parties everywhere.

India has a multi-party system and there are numerous outfits, but only a few have national status. Two parties apart from the Congress have been fast gaining momentum in recent days to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre.

These two outfits are the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC). AAP emerged out of the anti-corruption movement led by activist Anna Hazare in 2012 with the stated aim of cleaning up society.

TMC took birth in 1998 with the motto of becoming the “real Congress”, which ended the Left rule in West Bengal after 30 years.

While AAP came out of a social movement, TMC was birthed by a political movement.

AAP styles itself as an alternative to the BJP and Congress. The TMC has been trying to project itself as the main opposition that can unseat the BJP in the 2024 parliamentary polls.

As AAP’s political journey began, it emerged as the second-largest party in the Delhi assembly polls in 2013 behind the BJP. It tied up with the Congress to form the government but they parted ways after 49 days.

From the very beginning, the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP showed its national ambitions as it fielded 434 candidates in the 2014 general elections. However, 414 of these nominees had to forfeit their deposits.

The TMC, on the other hand, came out of the Congress in 1998 with the sole aim of ousting the Left from power in Bengal. Though it did have Lok Sabha representation and party chief Mamata Banerjee herself was an MP for several years, and it was part of both NDA and UPA governments, Trinamool for many years had not shown any inclination to expand its national influence. Though it made some efforts in Manipur and Goa, there wasn’t much focus.

AAP’s record shows that it has done really well in Delhi in a short span of time, stopping the BJP juggernaut in 2015 and then again in 2020 while registering sweeping victories. But for over 10 years, AAP has been mostly confined to Delhi and pockets of Punjab.

The TMC, though, after 2016 gave a call for Delhi, but Mamata stressed more on aligning with like-minded parties. This time, after the April-May assembly election victory in Bengal, the TMC chief is still talking about opposition unity. But it seems evident that she wants to see her party spread its footprints in several parts of the country.

“We will take the BJP head-on in all the states ruled by it…we will go there and defeat them,” her nephew and party MP Abhishek Banerjee recently said.

With this plan, the poaching of several leaders from the Congress in recent days has boosted the TMC’s national presence.

Political analyst Professor Sambit Pal said, “AAP was formed out of a social movement, whereas TMC is an outright political party. Mamata Banerjee has a definite national ambition, and she also had been part of union governments. Earlier she just wanted the TMC’s presence in different states. Now, her goals are clear. She is stepping into uncharted territories. She wants to grab power in some states with disgruntled Congress leaders and become the PM in 2024, being the most prominent anti-Modi face. It is to be seen if TMC can make a mark or just leave a few footprints outside Bengal. On the other side, Arvind Kejriwal has his national ambitions as well. However, he knows his limitations. AAP will take cautious steps outside Delhi and Punjab.”

Political observers also say that AAP is a party formed from the upside down, with affluent people of society coming together, but TMC took shape the other way and Mamata Banerjee has acceptance with the common man .

Veteran TMC MP Saugata Roy said, “We are very serious in our national ambition. We are focussed. We don’t know about other parties but we are moving forward.”

Both are competing against the BJP and Congress: AAP is opposing them openly, TMC in a more subtle way when it comes to Congress.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal share a good rapport, but it’s clear that they will not spare each other on the battlefield. However, will they be united with a national perspective in mind, and what lies in their future? This will be interesting to watch, say political pundits.

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