Congress president Rahul Gandhi with West Bengal CM and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee. (File Photo/PTI)
The big question of whether the Grand Alliance or Mahagathbandhan will project Congress president Rahul Gandhi as the PM face against Narendra Modi in 2019 remains disputed as alliance members don't appear to be on the same page. A couple of days after Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin's proposal to announce Rahul Gandhi as the opposition's prime ministerial candidate, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has shot down the call.
The Trinamool Congress chief said that the issue of prime ministerial candidate could be discussed after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, which are due in April-May.
"It could be discussed only after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, once the opposition alliance emerged winners. All (opposition) parties will meet and decide on the issue. We will accept that," Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat in Kolkata.
"This is not the time to discuss this issue. And I am not alone. We are working together. We are solidly together," Mamata said when asked whether she was one of the contenders for the top job.
The TMC earlier said announcing prime ministerial candidate now would be premature would as it would divide the Opposition camp.
On reports of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) coming together for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls without the Congress, Banerjee said, "This is very good. It is local compulsion. We appreciate that."
The Congress could also be fighting alone in places due to similar compulsions, she said.
There have been reports that Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav have finalised a poll pact without Congress and a formal announcement will be made on January 15, the birthday of the BSP supremo.
