For the Trinamool supremo's nay to holding a caste census in West Bengal may drive a wedge in the ranks of the INDIA coalition. Even as another member of INDIA combine Left read CPI(M) seeks a caste census in the state to needle TMC, is a tough call for Banerjee.

A considerable section of TMC leadership feels that a caste census would give BJP an edge over its nominees in the Lok Sabha elections next year. With the memory of the scare the saffron camp hurled at the TMC dispensation in 2019 Lok Sabha elections, it is opposed to caste census which can turn 2024 elections in West Bengal into a close contest.

The fact remains that the Trinamool supremo does not need such a census in her state. Small wonder, she is not in a position to give her nod to caste census sought by one of her INDIA colleagues in other states when she feels that such a headcount in West Bengal is not in her electoral interest.

In the backdrop of the coming 2024 Lok Sabha elections, given the behaviourial pattern of Congress towards befriending Trinamool in national politics, the TMC supremo has no reason to alter her political priorities months to go before next elections. Not possessed with a desire to get caste census going in West Bengal, Banerjee sees no reason to include the issue within her top political priorities. Chief Minister was back from her foreign tour on Saturday night but till now, she has not mentioned anything about caste census with her party colleagues.

Over the post-freedom decades, the partitioned state of West Bengal has put eradication of communalism and separatist movements ahead of caste issues. Successive dispensations belonging to Congress and Left Front have waged an undeclared war on communalism lest the horrors of Partition visit the state again.

But long before democracy and electoral politics had struck roots in the state, the bhakti movement of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu revered for his teachings in Bengal and Odisha made caste and the ills emanating from it a non-issue. If senior BJP leaders are surprised that commensurate electoral dividends are not reaped when they break bread in a lower caste household in West Bengal before elections, they can trace their answers to the words and deeds of Sri Chaitanyadev.

Some senior TMC leaders requesting anonymity voiced their thoughts about caste census. It is an issue in the Hindi heartland and not in West Bengal. THE TMC is in no mood the support the caste census on a national level. They want to leave it to the state parties of INDIA.

Yet the other members of INDIA coalition are keen to push the caste census to counter BJP's Hindutva narrative. Facing Enforcement Directorate's questioning in Kolkata, Abhishek Banerjee, the TMC chief 's nephew was absent at September 13 meeting at Sharad Pawar's residence in Delhi when the matter came up.

The Trinamool chief herself had expressed her reservation on the caste census during INDIA's Mumbai meeting. Nothing has emerged so far though Congress leader KC Venugopal said that the alliance will talk to the party.

It was learnt from TMC sources that reluctance about caste census can lead to the ruling dispensation of West Bengal being accused of practising caste based politics. It would damage its image as politics in the state as caste has little to do with politics in West Bengal.

The Trinamool seeks to focus its politics around scheduled caste, scheduled tribes and minorities and fears caste based politics would be advantageous to BJP. Of the state's quota quantum, 22 per cent is reserved for SCs, 6 per cent for OBCs, 3 per cent for persons with disabilities and 5.2 per cent for economically weaker sections among general categories.

Some of the senior leaders of the INDIA coalition like Nitish Kumar of JD(U) and Lalu Prasad Yadav of RJD are keen on going ahead with caste census. It is in keeping with their electoral agenda as caste based politics is prevalent in the state they hail from together with rest of the Hindi belt.

It is upto the TMC supremo to convince these Hindi belt chieftains that caste based politics is out of place in West Bengal. It has even the possibility of backfiring on the ruling dispensation, Trinamool Congress.

But in the process, the three time chief minister of West Bengal runs the risk of driving a schism in the INDIA ranks. This is the last thing Mamata Banerjee desires as she would be tagged as a wrecker of anti -BJP Opposition unity before 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Such a tag of weakening Opposition unity would send a wrong message to TMC's minority vote bank. After all, it is this section of voters which had been her bulwark in 2019 Lok Sabha polls and 2021 state Assembly elections when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah were crisscrossing the state on a hectic campaign trail.

The ball is in Trinamool's court. It is upto it to accept caste census, reject it or find out a "middle path". TMC supremo is an expert negotiator and he has her charm to convince other leaders of INDIA. TMC sources hope that their leader will continue with the no caste census position in the state without rocking the boat of INDIA. (IPA Service)