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Bengal Congress president Subhankar Sarkar took to social media to attack Banerjee’s leadership abilities, alleging that she was hand-in-glove with BJP
The power tussle in the INDIA bloc began last week when Mamata Banerjee, in an interview with News18 Bangla, said if asked to lead from the front, she was ready for the role. (PTI/File)
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has entrusted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with “disturbing” the Opposition, the Bengal Congress has alleged amid the tug-of-war in the INDIA bloc over leading the alliance.
Bengal Congress president Subhankar Sarkar took to social media to attack Banerjee’s leadership abilities, alleging that she was hand-in-glove with BJP.
“Recently the Chief Minister of West Bengal, @MamataOfficial ji in an interview apparently expressed her desire to lead the I.N.D.I.A. alliance. Any alliance partner may claim and want to lead the I.N.D.I.A alliance. However, Mamata Banerjee ji’s action has on several occasions provided oxygen to the BJP and derailed a united opposition front when the BJP is in crisis,” Sarkar wrote.
He added: “A claim to assert leadership is nothing but a divisive mechanism to provide advantage to the BJP. The “I” in I.N.D.I.A alliance stands for inclusive and every decision of the alliance should be collective in fighting the BJP through a common minimum programme.”
He also pointed out that Congress and Rahul Gandhi had stopped BJP’s dream of crossing 300 in the Lok Sabha elections.
“The @AITCofficial faces the BJP only in every five years during Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, however, the Indian National Congress takes on the BJP and their propaganda on an everyday basis across every booth, block, district, State and every constituency possible. Notwithstanding elections, our fight against the BJP is ideological since their politics is anti-thetical to the democratic, secular and socialist ideas of India.
“The Indian National Congress has uncompromisingly fought against the BJP in every field and platform. They have never chosen to remain silent. Whereas, the TMC has conspicuously remained silent on several important issues concerning the nation.”
Reacting to Sarkar’s outburst, TMC’s Kunal Ghosh said: “Congress has given benefit to BJP in Bengal by siding with the Left. It’s not the number but the face that matters in coalition politics. In 2004, Congress got numbers but they requested Jyoti Basu to be chief minister. Why Congress should concentrate on their work.”
Sources in the Congress say the party will oppose Banerjee’s bid to lead the bloc tooth and nail, which is why Sarkar — known for a non-confrontational position with TMC so far unlike his predecessor Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury —- has now adopted an aggressive stance.
The power tussle in the INDIA bloc began last week when Banerjee, in an interview with News18 Bangla, said she had given birth to the opposition alliance and if asked to lead from the front, she was ready for the role.
The genesis of the discomfort with Congress was the Maharashtra result where the Grand Old Party’s dismal performance gave ammunition to TMC leaders who said the party must shed its “big brother” attitude and step down from a leadership role.
Kalyan Banerjee, a close confidant of Mamata Banerjee, also stressed that Congress should set aside its ego and hand over the reins to the TMC chief. What bolstered TMC’s confidence was support from other INDIA allies such as Lalu Prasad Yadav and Sharad Pawar.
For the Congress, the latest skirmishes are a double-edged sword as it tries to keep peace in the alliance while ensuring its own survival and status.
The BJP, meanwhile, seems to be having the last laugh, with party leader Shehzad Poonawala taking a dig at the power tussle.
“The Indi alliance has no mission. There is only confusion and division. There is pure greed for ambition and leadership positions. To hide this race for power and no-confidence in each other, they attack constitutional posts such as those of the V-P. This is a diversionary tactic so that the focus shifts from the lack of faith that the opposition has in Rahul Gandhi.”
