New Delhi [India], December 7 : In response to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s reported remark about being willing to lead the INDIA alliance, BJP leader Pradeep Bhandari criticized the leadership within the opposition bloc. He claimed that no leader in the INDIA alliance believes in the leadership of Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Vadra, and stated that the alliance itself has referred to Rahul Gandhi as “childish.”
Bhandari said, “No leader in the INDIA alliance believes in the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra. They consider Rahul Gandhi a political failure. Akhilesh Yadav, Mamata Banerjee, and Stalin all say at different times that they are the leaders, but in unison, they state that Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra are not leaders. It is not us, but the INDIA alliance that calls Rahul Gandhi childish.”
Earlier, on December 3, in response to suggestions from TMC leaders that Mamata Banerjee should lead the INDIA alliance after Congress suffered a significant defeat in the Maharashtra assembly polls, TMC MP Kirti Azad defended the idea, asserting that Mamata Banerjee is capable of uniting everyone.
“Mamata Banerjee has a flawless track record. Whenever Prime Minister Modi suffered a major defeat, it was always in West Bengal. Her vote share increases whenever he insults Bengal and its people,” Azad remarked, adding that Mamata Banerjee is well-known for her clarity of speech and leadership abilities.
Azad also emphasized that Mamata Banerjee is a household name in both West Bengal and across India, highlighting her readiness to bring people together after thoughtful preparation.
TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee had previously stated on November 26 that the INDIA alliance needed a strong leader after Congress’ poor performance in Haryana and Maharashtra. He argued that the alliance needed to be strengthened to effectively challenge the BJP, calling for a single leader to unify the opposition bloc. He further criticized Congress for its failure to deliver expected results in these states, saying, “Congress has done it all, but the results have been disappointing.”
Additionally, it was noted that MPs from TMC and Samajwadi Party had skipped a joint opposition protest related to the Gautam Adani bribery case.