The slogan "Didi for PM" has grown louder in the last six months.
Kolkata:
Just hours after Congress President Rahul Gandhi said he was willing to be the Prime Minister of India, supporters of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a social media campaign saying, "Come, let's make a change... Let's get a Bengali Prime Minister this time".
A life-size photograph of a smiling Mamata Banerjee above the slogan leaves no room for doubt about who her fans want as a Bengali Prime Minister.
Does the Facebook page called FAM have Didi's blessings? No response from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) to queries yet.
The FAM page is run by All India Trinamool Congress -- AITC supporters -- a separate social media page with over 2.5 lakh likes. The page calling for Ms Banerjee for PM has 67,000 likes.
According to fine print, the page has been up for six years. The posts calling for Mamata for PM were put up around 7 pm on Tuesday.
The slogan "Didi for PM" has grown louder in the last six months, especially since the Gujarat polls when Rahul Gandhi became the Congress chief.
His elevation was a signal for many that Rahul Gandhi would be the Congress face for PM in 2019. Ms Banerjee did not congratulate him then nor for the Congress's improved performance in Gujarat. She, however, congratulated Hardik Patel and Jignesh Mevani for their poll success.
Last month, when Bengal Congress chief Adhir Chowdhury attacked Trinamool for terror during the panchayat poll nomination filing and went to court, like the BJP, Ms Banerjee said, "The Congress must clarify its position. It can't be friends with BJP in Bengal and foes in Delhi."
Earlier, the Trinamnool had launched a soft campaign for Mamata Banerjee as PM. Top leaders said on record, Mamata Banerjee is a senior politician with mass appeal, has served at the Centre as minister for major portfolios, is a two-term chief minister and one of the key movers for a united opposition to take on BJP in 2019.
"Mamata Banerjee is a leader of proven mettle," a Trinamool leader had told NDTV. "We don't have to go around with a certificate for her."