"Congress Should Be Ready...": Mani Shankar Aiyar's Big INDIA Bloc Remark

The Congress should be ready to not be the leader of the INDIA Opposition bloc, veteran party leader and former Union Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar has said in an interview to The Indian Express. Asked if any other party could lead the INDIA bloc, Mr Aiyar said, "I don't think it's a relevant question. I think the Congress should be ready to not be the leader of the bloc. Let whoever wants to be the leader be the leader. There is competence in Mamata Banerjee... There is competence in others in the alliance."

"So, I don't care who becomes the leader because I think the position of the Congress party and of the Congress leader will always be a major one. It doesn't have to be the only one. It will be the major one in the INDIA bloc. I am sure Rahul (Gandhi) will be treated with even more respect than he would be as the president of the alliance," said the 83-year-old, who has come out with the second volume of his autobiography A Maverick in Politics.

The senior Congress leader's remarks come against the backdrop of a leadership tussle within the Opposition bloc formed last year to take on the BJP's formidable election machinery. The grand alliance strategy worked well in the Lok Sabha election and the ruling BJP was restricted to below the majority mark. The alliance, however, has proved to be tricky in regions where two INDIA partners are electoral rivals. This has drawn attacks from the BJP, which has termed the bloc "opportunistic".

The Congress, which doubled its Lok Sabha election score this time, has since suffered setbacks in Haryana and Maharashtra polls. Soon after the Maharashtra results, Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took a veiled swipe at the Grand Old Party. She said "everyone needs to be taken along" as the Opposition bloc moves against the BJP-ruled central government. Asked why she was not taking charge, Ms Banerjee said, "If given the opportunity, I would ensure its smooth functioning. I don't want to go outside Bengal, but I can run it from here."

Veteran Opposition leaders Lalu Prasad Yadav and Sharad Pawar threw their weight behind Ms Banerjee.

"Congress's objection means nothing. We will support Mamata... Mamata Banerjee should be given the leadership (of the INDIA Bloc)," the RJD founder said.

NCP founder Sharad Pawar said, "Yes, certainly (she is capable of leading the alliance). She is a prominent leader of this nation... she has that capability. The elected leaders she sent to Parliament are responsible, dutiful, and well-aware people. Therefore, she has the right to say so."

Earlier, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut had said Mamata Banerjee should be a major partner of the INDIA alliance. "We know this opinion of Mamata ji. We also want her to be a major partner of the INDIA alliance. Whether it is Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal or Shiv Sena, we are all together," he said.