Congress-led UDF wins big in Kerala local body by-polls; wrests three panchayats from LDF
Of the 31 contested seats, the UDF won 17, the ruling CPI-M-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) won 11, and the BJP secured three seats.
Former Bihar Chief Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Yadav on Tuesday backed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to lead the Opposition’s INDIA bloc, asserting that the Congress’s objection to her leadership bid will not make any difference.
“Congress’s objection means nothing. We will support Mamata… Mamata Banerjee should be given the leadership (of the INDIA bloc),” the RJD told reporters in Patna.
His remarks came days after Mamata Banerjee expressed her willingness to lead the anti-BJP coalition if given the opportunity. Earlier, Lalu Prasad’s son and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav said that while he had no objection to Ms Banerjee or any other senior leader of the coalition leading the group, the decision must be made with consensus.
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After the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi’s humiliating defeat in last month’s Maharashtra Assembly elections, Mamata Banerjee criticised the functioning of the INDIA bloc and expressed her intent to lead the coalition from West Bengal.
“I had formed the INDIA 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 said in an interview with a Bengali news channel.
“If given the opportunity, I would ensure its smooth functioning… I don’t want to go outside Bengal, but I can run it from here,” she added.
The INDIA bloc, formed ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to defeat the BJP, is currently led by the Congress. The alliance has had mixed success under Congress’s leadership. While it managed to stop the BJP from reaching a majority in the general elections, the saffron party-led NDA still formed the government.
Bihar Chief Minister and JD-U leader Nitish Kumar, who played a crucial role in forming the Opposition’s coalition, quit the alliance just before the general elections and joined the BJP-led NDA. He, along with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, played key roles as kingmakers.
However, the INDIA alliance has faced multiple setbacks since the Lok Sabha elections, including electoral losses in Haryana and, more recently, the Maharashtra Assembly elections. Some allies have attributed these defeats to the Congress’s functioning and its alleged lack of respect for smaller partners.
The differences within the INDIA bloc are also visible during the Winter Session of Parliament. Mamata Banerjee’s TMC and Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party have distanced themselves from the Opposition’s protest over the Adani issue.
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