"TMC is the only party in INDIA alliance that has defeated BJP, Congress": Abhishek Banerjee on Mamata Banerjee's leadership

New Delhi [India], December 16 (ANI): Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday highlighted his party's prowess in the INDIA alliance and his confidence in its leader, Mamata Banerjee.
He said that the TMC is the only party within the alliance that has successfully defeated both the BJP and Congress -- TMC has consistently held power in West Bengal.
As the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee has been a dominant force in state politics. Her leadership has been instrumental in the TMC's success, and Abhishek Banerjee's comments suggest that the party is keen to leverage her strengths in the broader INDIA bloc.
He also called for a detailed discussion amid the calls for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to lead the INDIA bloc and said no party should be treated small.
The TMC MP stated that Mamata Banerjee is a senior leader and has served as a Union Minister as well.
"INDIA alliance will sit and discuss this. She is the senior-most. This is her third term as the Chief Minister and she has also been a Union Minister before as well. So there should be a detailed discussion regarding this...," the TMC MP told reporters here.
His remarks came in the light of a few Trinamool Congress leaders advocating a change in the leadership of the INDIA bloc following the election drubbing of the Congress in the Maharashtra assembly polls.
On the Congress describing the TMC as a regional party, he said, "No party should be treated small. TMC is the only party in the INDIA alliance that has defeated the BJP as well as the Congress. This shows its strength..."
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SCP) chief Sharad Pawar had expressed his support, stating, "Yes, certainly (she is capable of leading the alliance). She is a prominent leader of this nation... she has that capability. The elected leaders she sent to Parliament are responsible, dutiful, and well-aware people. Therefore, she has the right to say so."
On November 26, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee suggested that one strong leader is needed to lead the INDIA bloc had further said that the opposition alliance should be stronger to take on the BJP.
"...The Congress has failed to achieve the desired result either in Haryana or in Maharashtra. We had tremendous hope from the Congress that they would do better. INDIA alliance is there but the expected result could not be achieved. And there is a great failure on the part of the congress to achieve the result...Today it is necessary if you want to fight against the BJP, INDIA alliance should be stronger. And to make it stronger, one leader is required. Now who can be the leader? That's the core question. Congress has done it. All experiments have been done, but they have failed...," he had said. (ANI)