Attacked by Mamata, Cong gets Shiv Sena support amid major realignments in the Indian political theatre

NEW DELHI: Days after Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee pronounced the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) as dead Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra that includes his party, Congress and NCP was like a 'mini UPA' and doing well.
Raut's defence came on a day he was already in the news for a meeting with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The irony of a former UPA member TMC dismissing the once mighty political grouping while a once bitter opponent Shiv Sena coming to its defence is hard to miss.
However, it is also a pointer to the major political realignments that are taking place even though the next national election in 2024 still seems distant.
Here is a look at some of the major political players and where they stand now:
Trinamool Congress, the challenger
The spectacular show by her party in the recent West Bengal elections seem to have brought Mamata Banerjee's national ambition to the fore. Banerjee has made no secret that she feels Congress is not in a position to challenge the BJP at the national level. Having taken in Congress leaders from Goa to Meghalaya in her party's fold, Banerjee feels she can play a key role in leading an anti-BJP front.
Shiv Sena
The Congress's answer to the TMC. If Banerjee's party has questioned the relevance of the UPA, the Shiv Sena stoutly defended it. A former all-weather ally of the BJP, the Shiv Sena questioned Banerjee's actions. In its mouthpiece Saamna, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party indicated that working against the Congress meant helping the BJP.
Nationalist Congress Party
An astute politician, Sharad Pawar is capable of surprising even the most seasoned political observers. Presently, Pawar's party is in power along with Congress and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra. However, he enjoys a warm rapport with top BJP leaders as well as Mamata Banerjee. Infact, Banerjee's "there is no UPA remark" came on a day she was meeting the NCP strongman.
Shiromani Akali Dal
The party was the BJP's oldest ally in a partnership forged in the fire of bitter anti-Congressism. However, the farm bills, which are now withdrawn, ensured a break-up between the two. The SAD finds itself opposing both the BJP and the Congress in the upcoming Punjab elections.
Amarinder Singh
Architect of Congress's 2017 victory in Punjab, Amarinder Singh was a close personal friend of the Gandhis. However, in fast-paced political events that occurred ahead of Punjab polls, the Patiala royal finds himself on the other end of the political spectrum. On Tuesday, BJP leader Gajendra Singh Shekhawat met Amarinder Singh to discuss political strategy for the state polls.
TDP
If the UPA is facing a tough time courtesy both opponents and allies, so is one time NDA convenor N Chandrababu Naidu. The Andhra Pradesh leader has found himself out of power in the state courtesy the rise of the YSRCP. At the Centre, Naidu no longer has clout even though a BJP-led government is in power. During a recent visit to the state, Union Home minister Amit Shah indicated that his party was not very keen to enter a tie-up with the TDP.
TRS
The ruling party of Telangana has been attacking the BJP on various issues in recent times. The BJP also managed to defeat the TRS in a recent assembly bypoll. However, the smart strategist that K Chandrashekhar Rao has proven to be over the years, the party has managed to keep its options open.
JD(U)
The JD(U) is no stranger to realignments. A once dependable BJP-ally, the party won a Bihar Assembly election along with Lalu Prasad Yadav's RJD to again move to the NDA fold. In the Bihar elections last year, JD(U) contested along with the BJP and came to power. However, another NDA ally, Chirag Paswan opposed JD(U) bitterly and eventually found himself out of the NDA.
AIMIM
The Asaduddin Owaisi-led party was once a Congress ally. However, the party is trying to chart an independent course and often receives sharp barbs from Congress leaders. The AIMIM's focus on minority votes often have the potential to upset electoral calculations. This has led to other parties sometimes calling it the 'B' team of the BJP. The party has managed to create its footprint outside Hyderabad and has elected representatives in states like Maharashtra and Bihar.
BSP
The BSP once gave unconditional support to the UPA. However, the party now no longer makes a secret of its distrust of the Congress. The Congress on its part also got BSP's Rajasthan MLAs to join its fold. The BSP once came to power in Uttar Pradesh with BJP support. It later went on to support the UPA. Like the Akalis, the BSP is fighting both the BJP and the Congress in the upcoming state elections in UP and other states. In Punjab, the BSP has tied up with the Akalis.
AAP
The Delhi-based party is neither with the UPA or the NDA but has managed to create ripples in other states. AAP is posing a serious challenge to rivals in Punjab. It has also let its ambitions known in states like Uttarakhand and Goa.
DMK
The party appears to be aligned with the Congress at the national level. However, DMK is another party that has in the past joined hands with the BJP as well.
Others
Several other chieftains of regional outfits have focussed on protecting their turf rather than get entangled with the UPA-NDA binary. Naveen Pattnaik's BJD has managed to be stay strongest player in Odisha. However, others like the RJD continue to appear inclined towards the Congress camp even though the grand old party's dismal showings have resulted in a weakened enthusiasm.