Days after TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee voiced her discontent with the functioning of the INDIA bloc, indicating her intent to lead the alliance, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav today has asserted that the West Bengal Chief Minister should be allowed to lead the Opposition alliance. Yadav categorically stated that Banerjee should be allowed to lead the INDIA bloc, indicating the unacceptability of the present situation with the Congress and Rahul Gandhi as leading the pack. When reporters questioned about the Congress’ reluctance to accept her as the leader of the Opposition coalition, Yadav bluntly responded, “The Congress’ opposition will not make any difference. She should be allowed to lead the INDIA bloc.” In response to Yadav’s remarks, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut suggested that his party is willing to consider the possibility of a leader from outside the Congress heading the INDIA bloc. “Still, if the INDIA bloc is to be strengthened again, everyone wishes to discuss (issues related to) leadership, who can give time to the alliance….(whether it could be) Mamata Banerjee, Uddhav Thackeray, Lalu Prasad, Sharad Pawar or Akhilesh Yadav,” Raut said. He mentioned that even Naveen Patnaik, the chief of the Biju Janata Dal, which has always collaborated with the BJP, could join INDIA although in political circles the acceptance for Patnaik is very low. Earlier, Mamata Banerjee had expressed her confidence in managing both her duties as the leader of the Opposition front and her position as Chief Minister of West Bengal simultaneously. “I had formed the INDIA bloc, now it is up to those leading the front to manage it. If they can’t run the show, what can I do? I would just say that everyone needs to be taken along,” Banerjee had said in an interview to a Bengali news channel.
Last week, the Samajwadi Party (SP) announced its exit from the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra following a statement on 6 December from a Shiv Sena (UBT) leader praising the demolition of the Babri Masjid. The UBT faction now probably realises that it has lost the baton of Hindutva to the BJP in Maharashtra and therefore continuance under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership can only result in further decimation of its Hindu party image. The Congress leadership has utterly failed to retain faith of the masses. This has been happening even when people are desperately looking for an acceptable alternative. A sizeable percentage of fence sitters, often the class that is decisive during voting, had turned in favour of Rahul during his first padayatra, Bharat Jodo. Many known faces had openly joined his walk. That group started viewing him as a person with a mind of his own even when he was faltering and confusing. This was not limited to urban elites only but spread to rural parts of the country also.
However, Rahul’s immediate trip abroad and his speeches condemning India and the manner most systems were functioning in this country again pushed him to the corner of ridicule. People laughed that Sam could easily waylay him without his understanding. Such inabilities demonstrate how Rahul Gandhi has been on a Snake & Ladder board forever. He goes up two flights and comes down four of them. A gamble to change leadership and bring in a new, strong and non compromising face might be the secret key the INDIAlliance has been looking for since inception.