Bolstered by bypolls success TMC's Kalyan Banerjee asks Congress to set aside 'ego', bats for Mamata as I.N.D.I.A. bloc leader

Kolkata: Bolstered by the TMC's clean sweep in the West Bengal assembly bypolls, senior party leader and MP Kalyan Banerjee asked the Congress to "set aside its ego" and recognise Mamata Banerjee as the leader of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc.

He also criticised the Congress for its poll debacle in Maharashtra.

Kalyan Banerjee emphasised the need for "unified and decisive" leadership to challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, drawing confidence from the TMC's impressive performance in the recent by-elections, where the party retained five assembly seats in West Bengal and snatched Madarihat from the BJP.

The TMC MP emphasised that Mamata Banerjee's "proven leadership and grassroots connect" made her the "most suitable" figurehead for the opposition alliance.

"The Congress and other opposition parties should admit their failures in the recent elections and prioritise unity over individual ambition. They must set aside their ego and accept Mamata Banerjee as the leader of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc,” he said while speaking at a blood donation camp in Hooghly district's Serampore on Sunday.

The BJP on Saturday pulled off a stunning performance in Maharashtra, winning a record number of seats to propel the party-led ruling Mahayuti alliance to a landslide victory while the I.N.D.I.A. bloc stormed back to power in Jharkhand on the back of a spectacular achievement by the JMM.

The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance on Saturday retained power in Maharashtra, pocketing a whopping 230 of the 288 assembly seats, while the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi’s dream of wresting power fizzled, with the opposition combine managing to garner just 46 constituencies.

In a stunning comeback, Hemant Soren’s JMM-led alliance on Saturday stormed to power in Jharkhand for a second consecutive term, winning 56 seats in the 81-member assembly, despite an all-out blitz by the BJP-led NDA which managed only 24.

Describing Mamata Banerjee as a "proven leader with a track record of fighting the BJP, the TMC MP said, “She is well-recognised as a fighter across India. Her leadership and ability to connect with the masses make her the ideal face of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc. Without a unified and pragmatic approach, the opposition’s efforts will continue to falter.”

The Congress continued its losing spree posting its worst-ever show in Maharashtra and ending up as a distant junior partner to the ruling JMM in Jharkhand, with further diminishing role in the opposition bloc as other allies perform better.

On the other hand, the TMC’s recent by-election victories defeating the BJP have reinforced the party’s dominance in West Bengal, despite opposition campaigns focusing on protests over the rape-murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

The CPI(M)-led Left Front, its ally CPI(ML) Liberation, and the Congress suffered major setbacks with their candidates losing deposits.

While the Congress being the largest party of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc has often been perceived as the coalition’s de facto leader, the TMC has consistently advocated Mamata Banerjee to take the reins of the opposition alliance.

The Bengal Congress declined to comment on the TMC MP's remark, while the Bengal BJP mocked him, stating "Change in the leadership of I.N.D.I.A. bloc won’t change its electoral fortune".

“Be it the Congress or the TMC or any other party, it won’t have any impact on the electoral fortune of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc. The people of this country have rejected these parties,” BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya added.