Odd couple

After a season of heavy hinting, the CPM has finally come out and asked its supporters to vote for 8220;non-Congress secular parties like the BSP8221; in places where the Left is not contesting, in the coming state elections. The announcement gives some material substance to the so far inchoate possibility of a Left-BSP counterweight to the two major coalitions in elections for the Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi assemblies.

But besides unsettling the existing dynamic, what radical implications does such a teaming-up bring to the national picture? It can position itself broadly as a social justice platform. Different as their own redistributive agendas are, the BSP and CPM have been coming closer in some sense, with the Left factoring caste into their calculus and Mayawati promising to extend reservations to the economically disadvantaged among the upper castes. The Left certainly needs all the tangible help it can get 8212; having surpassed itself in the last general election, things can only get worse. But despite its puny size, it is long used to commanding a booming, stentorian voice in national matters. The BSP, on the other hand, is still a bumptious newcomer on the national scene and the Left8217;s approval and intellectual backing will doubtless bolster its credentials.

But use-value apart, what can the Left really expect from a transparently on-the-make Mayawati? The CPM is virtually riveted to its convictions, willing to stake an entire government on its manifesto 8212; after professing such deep disappointments with the UPA for veering from its script, how can it expect better from Mayawati, the arch-opportunist? In the event of a hung House, Mayawati can be reliably expected to switch to the winning side. After years of angry anti-upper caste agitation, she pragmatically expanded her constituency by including forward castes 8212; but how wide can she cast her politics without losing its insurrectionary edge and alienating her core support? Similarly, can the party faithful be persuaded to root for someone so plainly self-serving? Either way, even if the combine is not expected to leave scorchmarks in the coming elections, it should shake up things nicely for the Big Two.