After the Trinamool Congress (TMC) mouthpiece stated that Rahul Gandhi failed to project himself as an alternative to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Saturday said that such comments weaken Opposition unity.
Speaking to ANI, Chowdhury said, "Rahul Gandhi is our leader. BJP conducts false propaganda against Rahul Gandhi to defame him. When Mamata Banerjee met Sonia Gandhi in Delhi she herself said that it was not the right time to discuss the face of the Opposition and it will be decided during the time of the election."
"Now during the time of Opposition unity, if any party gives such a statement then it weakens the convergence of opposition parties. These statements will eventually give an advantage to BJP. I differ from the view expressed by the mouthpiece of the TMC party," he said.
Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole reiterated that 2024 general elections will be fought under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi.
"Every party praises its leader. It is not a big thing. One must remember, it is Congress and its policies that worked for the development of the country before and after independence. The government in 2024 will be made under the leadership of Congress. So it does not matter who speaks what," Patole told ANI.
Meanwhile, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi does not have that position to become the face of the Opposition against Prime Minister Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee should take that space.
Speaking to ANI, Ghosh said, "We are not dishonouring Rahul Gandhiji. But practically, Rahul Gandhiji does not have the position to become the face as an alternative to Narendra Modi and BJP is taking advantage of that. The face should be Mamata Banerjee."
"The Bengal Assembly elections proved that Narendra Modi ji, Amit Shah ji and JP Nadda Ji could not defeat Mamata Banerjee. This is the demand from other states and across the country that Mamata Banerjee should be the face as she is a senior leader. It is not the fact that we are against Congress," he added.
On the other hand, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya took a jibe at TMC's mouthpiece stating that Mamata Banerjee is daydreaming of becoming the prime minister. "Mamata Banerjee won the West Bengal elections by fluke. Had it not been for a few electoral factors she would have lost. And now she is harbouring the ambition of being a prime minister. I wish her good luck in her daydreaming," Surya said.
The development came after Trinamool Congress's party mouthpiece 'Jaago Bangla' sparked the row by saying Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has failed to become an alternative face to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is the potential alternative to Prime Minister Modi.
( With inputs from ANI )
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