Demand for Mamata to head INDIA bloc, more leaders back her

NEW DELHI: After Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee expressed her willingness to lead INDIA bloc, several alliance leaders have backed her. The matter has come to light after RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav came forward to support Mamata Banerjee as the leader of the front. More opposition parties want Mamata to become their leader in the wake of the Congress's heavy setback in the Maharashtra and Haryana assembly elections. Sources close to her indicate that Mamata has expressed her interest in leading the INDIA bloc.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, all prominent non-Congress leaders are in the forefront to support Mamata. YSR Congress party leader Jagan Mohan Reddy, NCP president Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena's Uddhav Thackeray and others are all supporters of Mamata. ‘We support Mamata. She should come to the leadership of the front,’ said Lalu Prasad. The opposition's objections are irrelevant. The opposition led by her has not been able to do anything significant so far, the former Bihar chief minister added. His son and party leader Tejashwi Yadav also responded that his father's decision is his. He supports Mamata. However, he clarified that a decision should be taken through collective thinking.

‘Mamata didi is the Chief Minister of a large state representing 42 Lok Sabha seats. She has a lot of knowledge in the electoral arena. Therefore, she is definitely qualified to lead the INDIA bloc,’ said YSRCP leader and Rajya Sabha member Vijaysai Reddy. Vijaysai is giving an indication that YSRCP president Jagan Mohan Reddy is getting closer to Mamata.

With more opposition parties coming forward to support Mamata, Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee demanded that the Congress put aside its ego and accept Mamata Banerjee as the leader of India bloc. ‘The Congress leadership should realize that INDIA bloc has failed under your leadership. The Congress is keeping Mamata away only because of its ego. "You should learn from Mamata how to handle politics,’ Kalyan said.

However, the Congress is not ready to accept Mamata as its leader anytime soon. Congress MP Manickam Tagore asked what will happen to the Trinamool Congress after it leaves Bengal. Manickam Tagore demanded that the Trinamool Congress should answer what happened in Goa, Tripura, Manipur, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.