- Udhayanidhi Stalin says leaders want M. K. Stalin to lead anti-BJP campaign
- Leadership debate intensifies within INDIA bloc
- Mani Shankar Aiyar calls Mamata Banerjee key to alliance survival
- Imran Masood says only Rahul Gandhi can lead Opposition
GG News Bureau
Chennai, 23rd Feb: In a development that points to growing leadership tensions within the Opposition’s INDIA bloc, the DMK has pitched its chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M. K. Stalin, as a potential face of the national campaign against the BJP.
Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin said leaders from several states are urging his father to spearhead a democratic fight against the ruling party at the Centre. He described M. K. Stalin as a leader who has set standards in both governance and political conduct.
The remarks come at a time when murmurs within the INDIA bloc have grown louder over who should lead the alliance nationally. Some Opposition leaders have hinted at the need for a fresh leadership approach, indirectly questioning the effectiveness of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as the principal face of the coalition.
The debate intensified after senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar recently said that Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee is critical to the survival of the alliance. He also suggested that leaders from parties like the DMK and the Samajwadi Party could play a larger role in steering the bloc.
However, Congress leaders have dismissed the idea of a leadership change. Congress MP Imran Masood asserted that Rahul Gandhi remains the strongest leader capable of taking on the BJP at the national level.
The DMK’s assertion also comes against the backdrop of seat-sharing talks between the DMK and the Congress ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, adding political significance to the timing of the statement.
With regional parties asserting their influence and Congress attempting to retain its central role, the leadership question within the INDIA bloc appears far from settled. The coming months are likely to witness sharper positioning as electoral battles approach.
