Mamata, most capable leader for INDIA bloc, say leaders

New Delhi: Irking Congress leadership, major political parties including RJD and NCP endorsed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as the head of the INDIA bloc. On Tuesday, RJD Chief Lalu Prasad also backed the TMC leader after she indicated her willingness to lead the opposition alliance.

The YSR Congress Party, which is currently not a part of the INDIA bloc, reiterated its support for Banerjee, calling her the "most capable leader to lead the bloc".

Days after Banerjee said she could lead the grouping if given an opportunity and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar backed her, more voices are emerging in her support.

Asked if Banerjee should lead the INDIA bloc, Lalu Prasad said on Tuesday, "Yes, she should lead".
He also attacked the Congress, saying, "The Congress' reservations amount to nothing. Mamata should be given the leadership role".

SRCP Rajya Sabha MP Vijayasai Reddy said Banerjee could better handle INDIA bloc parties.

"Didi Mamata ji is capable and has experience, leading one of the largest states, handling different portfolios and holding different positions from time to time.

"Didi will be in a position to handle INDIA bloc parties more effectively and to lead it to power," Reddy told reporters outside parliament on Tuesday, a day after announcing support to Banerjee on X.

Pawar had also called Banerjee "a capable leader" and asserted that he had the right to say it. "The MPs she has sent to Parliament are hardworking and aware", he said.

According to a source, NCP chief Pawar is likely to meet former Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday evening and the leadership of INDIA bloc is among the issues that are likely to be discussed.

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav had on Monday rejected reports of a rift within the INDIA bloc over Banerjee's leadership pitch, saying "all is well" in the opposition camp.

"Anyone can say that, no one comes to politics to be a saint, everyone has ambition, but a collective decision is taken," Yadav told PTI outside Parliament.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has also indicated that his party was open to discussing if someone outside the Congress should lead the INDIA bloc.

Talking to reporters in Delhi, Raut, a Rajya Sabha member, said his party's ties with the Congress leadership including Kharge and Rahul Gandhi were "excellent".

Congress is a national party and has the highest number of MPs among the INDIA allies, he noted. "Still, if the INDIA bloc is to be strengthened again, everyone wishes to discuss (issues related to) leadership, who can give time to the alliance....(whether it could be) Mamata Banerjee, Uddhav Thackeray, Lalu Prasad, Sharad Pawar or Akhilesh Yadav," Raut said.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is at present the chairman of the Opposition grouping, formed before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.Banerjee had said last week she could manage the dual responsibility of running the opposition front while continuing her role as the chief minister of West Bengal.

Her statement comes at a time when broader tensions have emerged within the INDIA bloc due to dissatisfaction from various regional parties and the recent electoral setbacks for the Congress in Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir and Maharashtra.

In an interview with a news channel on Friday, Banerjee expressed dissatisfaction with the functioning of the opposition INDIA bloc, signalling her intent to take charge of the alliance if given an opportunity, and will ensure its smooth functioning.