The question of who leads the INDIA bloc has been reignited following assertions from the DMK leadership and a series of proposals from political figures, including those who’ve been with alliance leader Congress. Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin set the stage on Monday, February 23, by pitching his father, chief minister MK Stalin, as a national leader.
Speaking in Coimbatore, Udhayanidhi Stalin asserted, "MK Stalin is a leader who guides not just Tamil Nadu but the entire country. Several opposition leaders across India believe that a democratic battle against the BJP must be led under MK Stalin's leadership". These remarks come as the DMK prepares for seat-sharing talks with the Congress, a junior partner for the Tamil Nadu assembly polls.
This push for MK Stalin’s national role follows a proposal for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to take the reins of the alliance.
Both Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are set for elections this year.
While Rahul Gandhi is Leader of Opposition, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was made convener of the alliance before the 2024 Lok Sabha election, but equations within the bloc have not remained the same.
Mamata's name suggested: ‘Idea whose time has come’
{{/usCountry}}While Rahul Gandhi is Leader of Opposition, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was made convener of the alliance before the 2024 Lok Sabha election, but equations within the bloc have not remained the same.
Mamata's name suggested: ‘Idea whose time has come’
{{/usCountry}}Sanjaya Baru, former media adviser to Manmohan Singh, recently argued that Banerjee, as a "totally self-made, first-generation leader”, stands apart from her peers. Baru noted that "repeating the Sonia Gandhi-Manmohan Singh model with Rahul Gandhi-Mallikarjun Kharge has not helped" in tackling the BJP.
He emphasised the strategic value of a female leader, stating, "an Opposition alliance led by a woman political leader, that too one who symbolises independent womanhood, can make a dent into the BJP’s more recently acquired women’s vote base". Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Sagarika Ghose bolstered this claim, describing it as "an idea whose time has come".
Aiyar's statements stir pot
The debate was further complicated by ex-Congressman and former Union minister Mani Shankar Aiyar, who also threw his weight behind the Tamil Nadu CM. Aiyar said on Monday that Stalin is the "best-suited" to be the convenor of the INDIA bloc, asserting that "a smaller partner in the saddle would be a better assurance of alliance unity than a dominant one".
Aiyar even argued that Stalin’s leadership is essential for Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s future prospects.
"Rahul Gandhi can become the PM of India, provided there is somebody to spend all his time consolidating the INDIA bloc," Aiyar earlier told news agency ANI. He added that Stalin "has the great virtue that he won't stand in the way of Rahul Gandhi becoming the PM". According to Aiyar, with the 2029 general elections as the ultimate goal, "no one is better-suited to lead the INDIA bloc than MK Stalin".
How Congress has reacted
This advocacy triggered a firestorm within the Congress, which has moved to distance itself from Aiyar and his comments, though it did not address the leadership question as such.
Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala launched a scathing attack on Aiyar, labeling him a "hired voice" with no standing in the party. "Mani Shankar Aiyar and others like him are people whose time is over. They have no role in this party. They are not part of this party," Chennithala told news agency PTI.
The friction intensified after Aiyar, during a visit to Kerala, predicted that the CPI(M)-led LDF would retain power in the state against Congress-led UDF.
Aiyar later launched personal attacks on other leaders, branding Congress MP Shashi Tharoor an "unprincipled careerist" and calling party general secretary KC Venugopal a "rowdy" — both are from poll-bound Kerala.
Amidst this jockeying, MK Stalin has maintained a posture of defiance against the Narendra Modi-led BJP/NDA regime. Speaking in Madurai, he claimed that the Union government "feared" the DMK due to its grassroots strength. "The DMK is a party that was formed by the people and for the people... That is why there is a fear that if they touch us, Tamil Nadu will strike back in response," Stalin stated.
‘What more do you want from Rahul?’
Amid talk of leadership change in the INDIA bloc, Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah on Monday rallied behind Rahul Gandhi.
He was asked about projection of Mamata Banerjee and others, to which he said no meeting has taken place so far to discuss the leadership. "So, I don't know where this is being projected," he told reporters on the sidelines of the Khelo India winter games at Gulmarg.
Abdullah's National Conference is part of the opposition alliance.
He said Mani Shankar Aiyar has “given his personal opinion”, asserting that “no one can say he doesn't have the right to speak his mind”. He added, “But ultimately, when a decision is made, it will be by the INDIA bloc. Everyone will talk together.”
Omar Abdullah showed support for Rahul Gandhi by challenging critics to define what more is expected of the Leader of the Opposition.
"He is consistently the one person who targets the BJP, always opposes the BJP and targets the government on every issue. That is the job of the leader of the opposition. What more do you want from Rahul Gandhi?" he added.