Ranchi: The rift in INDIA bloc leadership has intensified with Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee expressing her willingness to head the Opposition alliance. While the Congress has strongly objected to Banerjee's bid, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) ministers have refrained from making any direct statement.
Minister Radhakrishna Kishore said the alliance is working well under the leadership of Congress's Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi and it would not be appropriate to hand over the responsibility of leadership to someone else.
Responding to journalists in the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly premises, Kishore said, "I have not heard her statement but as you people are saying, I believe it is not right to say that the leadership should be handed over to one person because INDIA bloc is working under collective leadership. The alliance cannot perform better than it presently does. Congress is a national party while TMC is a regional party".
The JMM has always had a soft corner for the West Bengal Chief Minister. Both ministers Ramdas Soren and Hafizul Hasan said that the party leadership will consider the matter.
The issue once again surfaced this morning after RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav backed Banerjee's statement. Lalu said that Banerjee should be allowed to lead INDIA bloc and this should not be opposed by anyone.
Earlier on Saturday, NCP leader Sharad Pawar acknowledged the leadership ability of Banerjee and expressed his support to her. Pawar said, "Banerjee is definitely capable of leading the alliance. She not only has the ability but is also a heavyweight politician of the country. The leaders that she has chosen in Parliament are responsible and dutiful."
A similar support was extended by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, who said that he also wants Banerjee to become a major partner in the alliance. Raut said in a press conference, "Be it Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal or Shiv Sena, we are all together".
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