Veteran Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar on Sunday made a series of remarks that have once again stirred the political debate within the opposition over the leadership and future strategy of the INDI alliance.
Aiyar asserted that the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is central to the survival of the Opposition INDI alliance, while expressing doubts about his own future within the Congress.
He also said that without Mamata Banerjee’s presence, the INDIA bloc would effectively lose its relevance and identity.
“Without Mamata di, the ‘I’, ‘N’, ‘D’, ‘I’, ‘A’ of the INDIA alliance all will be gone. Because Mamata Banerjee is the leader of this alliance,” the veteran Congress leader said in his statement.
He further said that leaders from regional parties, for instance DMK Chief MK Stalin, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav may also play a leading role in the bloc.
He also suggested that Lok Sabha LoP and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi should give a way to the leaders of smaller parties to take the lead in guiding the bloc instead of trying t occupy the top post.
He also talked about his strained relationship with his own party, citing remarks made by the party’s General Secretary (Organisation), K. C. Venugopal, which he interpreted as hinting at potential disciplinary measures against him.
“I consider myself to be in Congress, but it seems they may have decided to expel me. However, I have not received any formal letter,” Aiyar said.
He added that although there has been reports that suggested he had been expelled, but he had received no official confirmation from the party.
“If you want the Congress’ view, ask a Congressman,” Aiyar remarked, while also saying that he believed many within the Congress support Mamata Banerjee.
Remembering his early political affiliation with Mamata Banerjee, Aiyar said he briefly joined the TMC in 1997 and appointed as its first National Secretary but left the party within weeks, given the party was rooted in Bengali identity.
Meanwhile, on the occasion of International Mother Language Day, he stressed the importance of language and cultural identity, citing the Bengali language movement in Dhaka led by Bangladesh’s founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
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