Mani Shankar Aiyar’s BIG claim: Rahul Gandhi will command greater respect if…

Veteran Congress leader and former Union Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar has suggested that the grand-old party should be ready to not be the leader of opposition INDIA bloc.

“I don’t think it’s a relevant question. I think the Congress should be ready to not be the leader of the bloc. Let whoever wants to be the leader be the leader. There is competence in Mamata Banerjee… There is competence in others in the alliance,” said Aiyar when asked if any other party could lead the INDIA bloc. He said this while speaking with Indian Express in an interview.

Aiyar’s remark come at a time when there have been reports about non-Congress leaders such as Mamata Banerjee taking up the leadership role in the opposition bloc.

“So, I don’t care who becomes the leader because I think the position of the Congress party and of the Congress leader will always be a major one. It doesn’t have to be the only one. It will be the major one in the INDIA bloc. I am sure Rahul (Gandhi) will be treated with even more respect than he would be as the president of the alliance,” said Aiyar, who recently came out with the second volume of his autobiography ‘A Maverick in Politics’.

Questions on Congress leadership

Questions have been raised about the future of the Opposition group in recent weeks following a string of debilitating electoral losses.

The Congress, which doubled its Lok Sabha election score in 2024 general elections, however, suffered setbacks in Haryana and Maharashtra assembly elections held recently. Soon after the Maharashtra results, Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took a veiled swipe at the Grand Old Party.

Banerjee expressed interest in running the INDIA bloc— with many key leaders in the Opposition bloc backing her as a ‘capable’ leader.

Many leaders of the grouping appeared to agree to hand over the leadership role to the West Bengal CM. Some, however, indicated that a decision would be taken later.

I think the Congress should be ready to not be the leader of the bloc.

On December 10,RJD chief and former Bihar chief minister, Lalu Prasad Yadav extended support to Banerjee to take a leadership role in the opposition INDIA bloc.

“Congress’s objection means nothing. We will support Mamata…Mamata Banerjee should be given the leadership (of the INDIA bloc),” Yadav said.