West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee exposed divisions among opposition parties on Wednesday when she claimed there was “no UPA” now. She was responding to a question about whether she wanted NCP chief Sharad Pawar to be the chairperson of the UPA, which was formed after the Congress became the largest party in the 2004 Parliamentary polls.
The comment by Mamata was perceived as being an attempt at downplaying the importance of the Congress in the national political narrative.
A number of Congress leaders objected to the claim.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh was quoted by ANI as saying, “Our fight is against the ruling party (BJP). Those who want to join us should come with us and those who don't want to join us are free to do so... Can any political alliance formed against BJP be without participation of Congress?”
Maharashtra Congress unit chief Nana Patole declared the fight against the BJP can only be carried out under the leadership of the Congress.
“Fight against BJP can be fought only under Congress's leadership as communal forces are sitting at Centre with mind set of selling off the nation, ending constitutional system and are working towards it,” Patole was quoted as saying by ANI.
Former Union minister Kapil Sibal tweeted about the importance of the Congress on Thursday. Sibal wrote, “UPA Without the Congress… UPA will be a body without a soul… Time to show opposition unity.”
ANI reported on Thursday “There were discussions among the top leaders of Congress late night on Wednesday in which it has been decided that the party will now make big attacks against Mamata.”
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha and a critic of Mamata, had alleged the meeting between the TMC supremo and Pawar was a “pre-meditated conspiracy” to weaken the Congress.
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Chowdhury even referred to Mamata as having become “BJP's oxygen supplier”.
ANI reported “Sources said that the responsibility of making political attacks on Mamata has been tasked to top leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge, Digvijaya Singh and Randeep Surjewala. They added that the special responsibility to Digvijaya Singh was given because he had been openly advocating coordination with leaders who left Congress like, Jagan Mohan Reddy, Sharad Pawar and K. Chandrasekhar Rao from the high command.”