The rift within the opposition camp deepened as RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav became the latest leader to back West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to lead the INDIA bloc. This leadership struggle comes at a time when Congress is still reeling from its poor performance in the Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly elections, following what had seemed like a promising result in the Lok Sabha elections.
Mamata Banerjee sparked controversy last week when she expressed interest in leading the INDIA bloc, which prompted several non-Congress parties to rally behind her. Among those who have supported her are YSRCP leader Jagan Mohan Reddy, as well as key figures from the Samajwadi Party, NCP (under Sharad Pawar), and Shiv Sena (led by Uddhav Thackeray).
Lalu Prasad Yadav has now added his voice to the growing chorus, further complicating matters for Congress. “We will support Mamata Banerjee. She should be allowed to head the INDIA bloc,” the former Chief Minister of Bihar declared. When asked about Congress’s reservations regarding Mamata Banerjee’s leadership, Yadav dismissed their objections, stating, “The Congress’s opposition will not make any difference.”
His son and senior RJD leader, Tejashwi Yadav, had previously stated that he had “no objection” to Mamata Banerjee leading the alliance, although he emphasised that the decision should be reached by consensus.
Interestingly, the YSRCP, which had been considered close to the BJP until it suffered a significant defeat to the NDA in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections, also joined the ranks of those supporting Mamata Banerjee’s leadership. YSRCP Rajya Sabha MP Vijayasai Reddy expressed his backing on Twitter, stating, “Mamata Banerjee is an ideal candidate to lead the INDIA alliance as she has the required political and electoral experience. Didi is also the CM of a large state with 42 Lok Sabha seats and has proven herself time and again.”
This shift in allegiance is seen as an effort by Jagan Mohan Reddy to forge closer ties with the opposition after struggling to win favour with the BJP.
With support for Mamata Banerjee growing among regional parties, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee urged Congress to put aside its ego and allow Mamata Banerjee to lead the INDIA bloc. “Congress needs to understand that under its leadership, the INDIA bloc has failed. If Mamata Banerjee becomes the leader, it will be much better. The alliance needs a leader… Mamata Banerjee knows how to fight political battles. Congress should set aside its ego. Congress removed Mamata Banerjee from its fold due to its ego, and now look at how Mamata Banerjee is doing politics,” he said.
However, Congress has responded with scepticism. Congress MP Manickam Tagore, who had previously dismissed the idea as a “joke”, questioned the Trinamool Congress’s reach outside West Bengal. “We should understand that, apart from Bengal, what is TMC’s strike rate? What happened in Goa, Tripura, Meghalaya, Assam, Nagaland, and Arunachal? The TMC should give clarity about this,” he stated.
Also Read: Ahmedabad to Welcome Gujarat’s Tallest Skyscraper at Iskcon Circle
