Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has raised concerns over the Congress' leadership within the INDIA alliance, urging the party to justify its role rather than taking it for granted. Acknowledging Congress’ status as the largest opposition party and its pan-India presence, Abdullah stated that leadership "has to be earned" and suggested that the party focus on critical issues like the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood.
"By virtue of being the single largest party in Parliament, and also having the leader of opposition in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, the fact that they have a pan-India footprint, which no other party can lay claim to, they are natural sort of leaders of an opposition movement," Abdullah said in an interview with PTI. Yet there is a sense of disquiet among some of the allies because they feel the "Congress is not doing enough to justify it or to earn it or to keep it. That's something the Congress might wish to consider."
Abdullah’s remarks come amid increasing dissatisfaction among INDIA bloc allies. After recent electoral defeats in Haryana and Maharashtra, leaders such as Sharad Pawar and Lalu Prasad backed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as the leader of the INDIA bloc. Senior TMC leader Kalyan Banerjee also urged the Congress to "set aside its ego" and accept Banerjee as the leader of the alliance.
Mamata Banerjee thanked leaders for backing her as INDIA bloc leader and said she could manage the dual responsibility of running the opposition front while continuing her role as the chief minister of West Bengal.
Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar supported Banerjee's statement expressing her willingness to take charge of the INDIA bloc. He said the TMC chief is a capable leader and has the right to show her intent to head the opposition alliance. RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav too endorsed Mamata for INDIA bloc leadership, saying: "We will support Mamata Banerjee. She should be allowed to head the INDIA bloc."
Abdullah highlighted the lack of regular interaction among alliance partners as a major flaw. "Our existence can't just be about six months before Parliament elections. Our existence has to be something more than that," he said, adding, "The last time we met was when the Lok Sabha results had only just come out. There has been no formal or informal sort of work that has been done for the INDIA bloc."
He also called for a structured communication framework to strengthen the alliance. "You need to have a programme of regular interactions, not that you just come alive once Lok Sabha elections are announced and suddenly start talking and trying to work things out," he explained.
The INDIA bloc, which aims to counter the ruling BJP, has struggled to maintain cohesion. Despite a decent performance in the parliamentary elections, the alliance has faltered in state polls, including recent losses in Haryana and Maharashtra. "The Congress needs to critically examine its strike rate and learn lessons applicable to future elections," Abdullah said, emphasising the need for better coordination and seat-sharing strategies.
He also pointed out recurring alliance tensions in states like Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, and Maharashtra, which have strained relationships and hindered potential partnerships, such as the failure to forge an alliance between the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi.
(With inputs from PTI)