Lalu wants Didi to lead INDIA; Congress says TMC weakening Opposition unity

The disquiet over leadership within the INDIA bloc has been growing with the RJD on Tuesday demanding that Trinamool Congress president and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lead the alliance instead of the Congress.

RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav replied in the affirmative when asked by journalists in Patna what he thought of Mamata’s recent indication of her willingness to lead the opposition alliance.

“Yes, she should lead,” said former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu, a staunch Congress ally who caused a flutter with his statement. Incidentally, the RJD-Congress rift may not augur well for the INDIA bloc in Bihar where the Assembly elections are to be held in less than a year.

Asked about the Congress’ reservations, Lalu said these “amounted to nothing”. “The Congress’ opposition will not make any difference. Mamata should be given the leadership role,” he said. The terseness displayed by Lalu towards the Congress came a day after AICC secretary Shahnawaz Alam, the co-in charge for Bihar, had hinted that the party was no longer willing to play the role of “little brother” in the Mahagathbandhan, the state’s prototype of the INDIA bloc.

The YSR Congress Party, which is currently not a part of the INDIA bloc, too, has backed Mamata, calling her the “most capable leader to lead the bloc”. “Didi will handle INDIA bloc more effectively and lead it to power,” YSRCP Rajya Sabha MP Vijayasai Reddy told reporters outside Parliament.

The Congress, however, reacted strongly, with its West Bengal chief Subhankar Sarkar alleging that Mamata’s recent actions had only helped in favouring the BJP and derailing opposition unity.

J&K CM Omar Abdullah had said on December 9 that Mamata could claim the INDIA bloc leadership, and that there would be a discussion. Last week, Nationalist Congress Party (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar had acknowledged Mamata’s leadership potential, emphasising her prominence as a national leader and the competence of her party’s representatives in Parliament.

“Yes, certainly (she is capable of leading the alliance). She is a prominent leader of this nation. She has that capability. The elected leaders she sent to Parliament are responsible, dutiful and well aware,” said Pawar.