New Delhi: At a time when Congress president Rahul Gandhi, bolstered by the results in Gujarat, seemed to be the most likely choice to be the united Opposition’s face for the 2019 parliamentary polls, Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has thrown her hat in the ring.
The message that the West Bengal chief minister is the “most credible” face for taking on the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was delivered in Delhi by her party’s chief spokesperson, Derek O’Brien.
“Mamata Banerjee has four decades of experience in politics, she has been Cabinet minister at the Centre multiple times. She has come back with a thumping majority (in Bengal). She has experience, credibility and credentials… After Gujarat polls, she has the best credentials to take on the BJP in 2019,” Mr O’ Brien told reporters on Wednesday.
Interestingly, this direct message comes a day after Ms Banerjee spoke over the phone with Patidar leader Hardik Patel and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani, to congratulate them for their “moral victory” in Gujarat.
“I am not surprised that young leaders from across the country are reaching out to her (Ms Banerjee) for her guidance and to learn from her experiences,” Mr O’Brien said, and added, “She has the finest credentials to take on the BJP in 2019.”
Questioned as to whether Ms Banerjee wants to be the prime ministerial face before 2019 polls, Mr O’Brien didn’t give a direct answer but said that Bengal will play an important role in the run up to the elections, and added that “Bengal will play the lead role after the 2019 polls.”
West Bengal has 42 Lok Sabha seats, of which Trinamul Congress won 34 in 2014 despite the Modi wave.
The Congress’ improved performance in Gujarat elections notwithstanding, the Trinamul chief’s assertive claim is an indication of the cracks that are likely to deepen as deliberations over putting together a united Opposition front against the BJP get more formalised in the coming months.
Among the Opposition parties, the Trinamul Congress and the DMK are the two parties likely to garner the maximum number of seats in the 2019 general elections.
Mr Gandhi’s elevation as the Congress president has sparked off speculation whether Sonia Gandhi will also step down as the UPA chairperson. And this, sources said, has led to apprehension among many Opposition parties which had loosely come together before the presidential elections in July this year.
Many top Opposition leaders say that the new Congress president is politically their junior and that they feel “more comfortable” in dealing with Mrs Gandhi who stitched together the UPA-1 and UPA-II coalitions.
This sentiment is visible in Parliament. Floor coordination among political parties has been nil in the Winter Session with almost no Opposition party supporting the Congress’ demand for an apology from Prime Minister Modi over his remarks against former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Mr O’Brien, who is also the Trinamul Congress’ Rajya Sabha member, however, denies this. He said that every party has their own issues and that his party is focussing on job creation, FRDI Bill and Aadhaar linkage.
This is part of the Trinamool Congress’ “muscle-flexing” to secure their position ahead of 2019 polls, and in a possible coalition thereafter. It might be recalled that in 2004, when Mrs Gandhi had taken over as the UPA chairperson, there were similar discordant murmurs from certain top allies and regional satraps.
