New Delhi: Mamata should lead the opposition INDIA bloc, former prime minister Manmohan Singh’s ex-media adviser Sanjaya Baru has argued, triggering a fresh debate within opposition ranks over leadership of the anti-BJP alliance.
In an opinion piece published in a leading newspaper, Baru said Mamata Banerjee, who heads the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the West Bengal government, is a “totally self-made, first-generation leader” and currently the only woman to lead both a political party and a state government. He suggested that continuing with a Congress-centric leadership model — earlier represented by Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, and now seen in the leadership space occupied by Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge — has “not helped” the opposition alliance effectively counter the BJP-led combine.
Baru also noted that India has not had a woman prime minister since Ind
ira Gandhi, and suggested that a woman leading the opposition could present a contrast to what he described as the male-dominated image of the ruling establishment.
The article was shared on social media by TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose, who endorsed the view, calling it “an idea whose time has come.”
On the same day, senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar offered a different perspective, suggesting that MK Stalin, chief minister of Tamil Nadu and leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), would be well suited to consolidate the opposition alliance. Aiyar said Stalin’s emphasis on federalism and unity could strengthen the INDIA bloc and potentially bolster Rahul Gandhi’s prime ministerial prospects if the alliance unites successfully.
Reacting to Aiyar’s remarks, Congress general secretary K. C. Venugopal described them as personal views, noting that Aiyar is no longer part of the party. Congress leader Sachin Pilot also declined to comment.
The leadership discussion comes as opposition parties continue to recalibrate strategy against the BJP-led government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While the TMC remains part of the INDIA bloc at the national level, it has charted its own course in state politics, underscoring the complex dynamics within the opposition alliance.