Mamata Banerjee questions Congress’s leadership as INDIA bloc allies outperform in key states
Kolkata: After the Congress’s lacklustre performance in the recent Assembly polls across states, despite a modest improvement in the Lok Sabha polls, its allies in the INDIA bloc have begun to dismiss the party’s potential as a formidable opponent to BJP. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s recent comment about leading the opposition alliance further highlighted this sentiment.
Congress being the largest party in the coalition has always been perceived as the de facto leader. However, regional parties like Trinamool Congress have often questioned this owing to the former’s inability to make a mark in the crucial state elections.
Mamata Banerjee’s comment that she could ensure the smooth functioning of the INDIA bloc while continuing as West Bengal’s chief minister has caused a buzz in the political sphere.
“I had formed the INDIA bloc, now it is up to those leading the front to manage it. If they can't run the show, what can I do? I would just say that everyone needs to be taken along,” Banerjee said in an interview with Bengali news channel News 18 Bangla.
The INDIA bloc, comprising more than two dozen opposition parties united to counter the BJP, has drawn criticism for internal discord and lack of coordination.
Mamata Banerjee’s statement came after her party MP Kalyan Banerjee, urged Congress and other INDIA bloc allies to set aside their egos and acknowledge her as the leader of the opposition alliance.
In Maharashtra, the BJP achieved a resounding victory, securing a record number of seats and propelling the Mahayuti alliance to a landslide win.
Meanwhile, the INDIA bloc staged a robust comeback in Jharkhand, with the JMM leading the charge through an impressive performance.
The Congress, however, delivered its worst-ever performance in Maharashtra and becoming a marginal player in Jharkhand, where it lagged far behind the JMM.
Congress’s diminishing role in the bloc has been highlighted by the stronger showings of its allies.
The TMC position was further strengthened in the alliance with the recent bypoll victories over the BJP, reaffirming its dominance despite opposition campaigns centred on corruption charges and brutal crimes against women which triggered the RG Kar Medical College protests.
The CPI(M)-led Left Front, along with its ally CPI(ML) Liberation and the Congress—partners of the TMC at the national level through the INDIA bloc—suffered significant defeats, with many of their candidates losing their deposits.
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