TMC says Mamata 'most suitable' to lead I.N.D.I.A. bloc

New Delhi: The Trinamool Congress on Sunday raised the pitch on the demand to make its chief Mamata Banerjee the leader of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, with party MP Kirti Azad saying she is the "most suitable" for the job as she is the only leader who has repeatedly defeated the BJP.

West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee's statement signalling her intent to take charge of the opposition alliance drew support from NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar who described her as a capable leader, while RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav stressed that the decision must be reached through consensus.

"We have no issue with Mamata Banerjee leading the bloc, but keeping in mind there are so many senior politicians in the anti-BJP coalition, there's a need to sit together and take a collective decision on choosing a leader," Yadav told reporters in Kolkata on Sunday.

Asked about Banerjee's remarks, Pawar said on Saturday that the Trinamool Congress chief has the right to show her intent to head the opposition alliance.

"She is a capable leader in the country and has the right to say it. The MPs she has sent to the Parliament are hardworking and aware," he told reporters in Kolhapur, Maharashtra.

In an interview to a news channel on Friday, Banerjee expressed dissatisfaction with the functioning of the opposition I.N.D.I.A. bloc and indicated her readiness to take charge of the alliance if given an opportunity.

She said she could manage the dual responsibility of running the opposition front while continuing her role as the chief minister of West Bengal.

Her statement comes at a time when voices of discontent have emerged within the opposition I.N.D.I.A. bloc following the recent electoral setbacks for the Congress, including in Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir and Maharashtra.

In a video statement, Azad said that a discussion is going on these days on the issue of the need for leadership change in the I.N.D.I.A. bloc.

"Senior leaders, including the senior-most Sharad Pawar ji, have also said Mamata Banerjee should be made the leader of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, " Azad said.

"There is a need for change. Mamata Banerjee is the only leader who has repeatedly defeated the BJP and Modi ji, and in the recent byelections in West Bengal, BJP was thrown out of Bengal," he said.

"She has a lot of experience, she herself said she has created the INDIA bloc, and she has said that she is ready to lead the bloc if she gets an opportunity. She has been an MP, Union Minister, and since 2011 she has been the Chief Minister of West Bengal," he said.

"It is time to make Mamata Banerjee the leader of I.N.D.I.A. bloc. With her experience she is the most suitable for this job," he added.