'Indebted to All, Want INDI to Thrive': Mamata Thanks Allies For Backing Her as Head of Alliance

New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her gratitude on Wednesday to senior leaders of the INDI bloc for supporting her leadership of the non-BJP coalition. 

During her three-day visit to Digha in Purba Medinipur district, Banerjee told reporters that she was indebted to those who had shown her respect and that she would pray for their well-being and the success of the alliance. "I am indebted to everyone for the respect they have shown to me. I pray for their good health. I want them, as well as their parties, to stay well. I also want INDI to stay well," she said, declining to comment further on the matter.

Last week, Banerjee voiced her dissatisfaction with the functioning of the INDI bloc and hinted at her willingness to take on a leadership role if given the chance. 

Several leaders from the coalition have endorsed her, suggesting that she should lead the alliance. "I had formed the INDI bloc, now it is up to those leading the front to manage it. If they can't run the show, what can I do? I would just say that everyone needs to be taken along," she noted in an interview. 

Leaders Who Backed Mamata to Head INDI Alliance 

Support for Banerjee came from influential figures such as Sharad Pawar, chief of the NCP, and RJD president Lalu Prasad.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SCP) chief Sharad Pawar acknowledged the leadership potential of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, emphasising her prominence as a national leader and the competence of her party's representatives in Parliament. Pawar 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."

RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav openly backed Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee to lead the INDI. He dismissed the Congress’s objections outright, declaring they ‘mean nothing,’ signalling growing dissent against the grand old party within the Opposition alliance.

"Congress's objection means nothing. We will support Mamata... Mamata Banerjee should be given the leadership (of the INDIA Bloc)," the veteran leader said when asked about Banerjee's remarks on leading INDI. This comes amid INDI partners' no-secret disagreement on whether to make the Adani issue the single-point agenda to disrupt the Parliamentary proceedings.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut also expressed support for Mamata Banerjee's role in the alliance, saying that they also want her to be a major partner. He added that they would soon meet her in Kolkata.

"We know Mamata ji's opinion. We also want her to be a major partner of the INDI bloc. Whether it is Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal, or Shiv Sena, we are all together. We will soon go to talk to Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata," Raut said at a press conference.

 YSRCP Rajya Sabha MP Vijayasai Reddy also expressed confidence that Banerjee could better manage the coalition's parties.