Senior Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday expressed no objection to Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee leading the INDIA bloc. However, he emphasised that the decision on leadership must be made collectively through consensus.
Speaking to reporters at the Patna airport, Tejashwi Yadav, who serves as the Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, remarked, “We have no issue with Mamata Banerjee leading the bloc, but keeping in mind there are so many senior politicians in the anti-BJP coalition, there’s a need to sit together and take a collective decision on choosing a leader.”
Tejashwi also pointed out that the INDIA bloc has not deliberated on the matter yet, adding, “When any decision is taken about who will be the leader and the future roadmap, it will be through consensus.”
Sharad Pawar Backs Mamata Banerjee As Congress Downplays Her Claim To Be INDIA Leader
On Saturday, Nationalist Congress Party-SP (NCP-SP) chief Sharad Pawar extended his support to Mamata Banerjee’s leadership aspirations. While speaking to reporters in Kolhapur on Saturday, Pawar lauded the West Bengal Chief Minister, stating, “She is a capable leader in the country and has the right to say it. The MPs she has sent to the Parliament are hardworking and aware.”
Pawar’s remarks followed Mamata Banerjee’s statements during an interaction with a news channel, where she claimed to have created the INDIA bloc and expressed her readiness to lead it. She said, “I had formed the INDIA bloc, but they [Opposition parties] are not being able to hold it together. What can I do? I am not leading the front. The leaders of the front should see to it that everyone remains together… They don’t even see me. But I maintain the best of relations with all national and regional parties.”
While reaffirming her commitment to West Bengal, the Chief Minister dismissed any personal ambition for a national role. ALSO READ | ‘I Formed INDIA Bloc, If They Can’t Run The Show…’: Mamata Opens Up On Becoming Oppn Face, TMC Succession Plan
The Congress Party has played down Banerjee’s leadership remarks, asserting its central role in the coalition. Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai told ANI, “Nobody else can run the INDIA alliance the way the Congress has done. Certainly, the Congress has worked in the role of an elder brother and taking everyone along, and only the Congress will take (the INDIA alliance) forward.”
Additionally, Congress leader Imran Masood told ABP News, “We can’t say anything about a tall leader like Mamata Banerjee. But at this moment, there is no leader other than Rahul Gandhi who is fit to lead [the INDIA bloc]. There should not be any misconception about this.”
The Samajwadi Party (SP) extended support to Mamata Banerjee with SP leader Udayveer Singh stating, “Mamata Banerjee is a prominent leader, and her party has consistently opposed the Bharatiya Janata Party [BJP]. If there is consensus among all the constituents of INDIA, the Samajwadi Party will have no objections; we shall fully support her.”
The Shiv Sena (UBT), however, took a more cautious approach. Party MP Priyanka Chaturvedi remarked, “She has put forward her statement because she has developed a successful model in West Bengal and has kept the BJP away from power… Our senior leaders will together take a decision on the INDIA leadership at the next meeting.”
The remarks signal a broader trend of dissatisfaction among regional parties within the INDIA bloc following electoral setbacks for the Congress in Haryana and Maharashtra polls.
