Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee, chief whip in the Lok Sabha, speaks to NDTV
Flush with the party's victory across six Assembly seats in the just concluded byelections and citing the Congress' poor electoral run, most recently in Maharashtra, Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee told NDTV that Mamata Banerjee should be accepted as leader of the Opposition INDIA bloc.
"For last three or four years what have they done? In the INDIA alliance, who is the leader? Nobody has been chosen as a leader, as a face of the opposition. Now it has to be done. The Congress has failed that is established. Congress leaders tried in Haryana, they failed. Maharashtra, they have failed. It is not that only Congress has lost, it is that we all, in INDIA alliance, who have lost. We reposed our faith in Congress but it could not achieve the result. Try to understand our point," Kalyan Banerjee, who is Trinamool's chief whip in the Lok Sabha, told NDTV.
The Congress won just 16 seats in Maharashtra against the BJP's 132, adding another chapter to its anthology of losses in recent times. Its senior leader Prithviraj Chavan, a former Chief Minister, and Balasaheb Thorat lost in Karad South and Sangamner seats, respectively. In October, the party was bested by the BJP in Haryana, a state it was widely tipped to sweep.
"We were also expecting that Congress will do better in Haryana. Congress will do better in Maharashtra. Sharad Pawar will do better in Maharashtra. So that non-BJP government is formed but they have destroyed our dreams. That has to be accepted. Now, you have to take ground reality," Mr Banerjee said.
Underscoring Mamata Banerjee's fighting spirit and her wide experience both at the Centre and state level, the Trinamool leader made a case for her as INDIA bloc leader.
"You see byelections happened. Everyone has critcised Mamata Banerjee but we won six out of six seats in Bengal. We have won by a margin of 1 lakh. People have reposed confidence in Mamata Banerjee. People of Bengal. People all over India also prefer Mamata Banerjee. People of country love Mamata Banerjee. Why? Because of her fighting character. She has been an MP, a Railway Minister. She has all sorts of qualities, better experience and qualities than whoever is the leader of Opposition," said Mr Banerjee.
"It is not a question of ego. It is nothing. It is for leaders of all political Opposition parties to rethink over the matter. Unity of opposition has to be made by making a leader. If you don't make a leader, how can there be unity. Someone has to drive the car," he emphasized.
Stressing that there's no divide in Opposition, he however advised the Congress to take everyone along.
"There's no divide in Opposition but you have to take all together. In Maharashtra, did Congress call us? In Haryana, did Congress call us. Why? What's the reason? Our object is to fight against BJP, against Narendra Modi. Must retrospect. Must See. Those who were responsible in Haryana, Maharashtra must retrospect. They are not in a position to attract people," said Mr Banerjee.