Mamata Banerjee INDIA Bloc Chief: Mani Shankar Aiyar's Message To Rahul Gandhi

Congress's Mani Shankar Aiyar, known for his controversial statements on multiple issues, this time advised his party's senior leader Rahul Gandhi to leave INDIA Bloc's driving seat to leaders of the regional parties. Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, he said, was leader of the bloc, without whom "the 'I', 'N', 'D', 'I', 'A' of the INDIA alliance will be gone".

"Mamata Banerjee is the leader of this alliance. Along with her, there are two or four others who can achieve this position," he told reporters in Kolkata this afternoon, sparkling a political row ahead of the assembly polls in Bengal. 

Then he went on to add, "I hope that instead of trying to remain in this position, which belongs to smaller parties -be it Stalin, Mamata Didi, Akhilesh, Tejashwi, or someone else - Rahul Gandhi should let them handle it."

Mani Shankar Aiyar - suspended by Rahul Gandhi earlier over his derogatory comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been praising  his party's regional opponents for a while. Recently he made headlines with his praise for Kerala Chief Minister and CPM leader Pinarayi Vijayan. His irked party colleagues said it was his personal opinion. 

The Bengal Congress leaders have responded sharply to Mani Shankar Aiyar's comment. 

Congress state general secretary Suman Roy Chowdhury has told NDTV, 

"Let us make it clear in the beginning -- for a long time, Mani Shankar Aiyar is no more attached with the activities of Congress Party. Five Rajya Sabha seats from Bengal are vacant now. Was that a reason behind such a comment from Mani Shankar Aiyar? We wonder," he said. 

He then proceeded to attack the senior leader directly.

"Mani Shankar ji do you know Mamata Banerjee acts as behind the curtain stooge of BJP against whom the INDIA block is fighting? I don't think after staying away from the party, you have any stakes to make any decision of the Congress Party".

"I will not comment right now because we are all busy with the Bengal elections," said Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh. 

"Our primary duty at the moment is to decisively defeat the BJP and ensure that the government is formed here for the fourth time under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee. Mani Shankar Aiyar is a very senior leader. The entire country is watching who is giving the BJP a proper ideological battle," he added.   

In Bengal, the Congress will be up against the ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP in the upcoming assembly polls. This time, it has not renewed its alliance with the CPM.