Mamata Banerjee clears air on PM post
The rally is seen as not just a show of opposition unity but also an attempt to catapult Banerjee to the centrestage.
New Delhi: Trinamul chief Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said she was not vying to be the prime minister and that the first priority was to defeat the BJP which is “scared and nervous” to face the 2019 polls because of opposition unity.
Banerjee, who has been at the forefront of efforts to rally opposition parties for an anti-BJP front, spent the second day of her Delhi visit meeting leaders of various parties including UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi.
“The opposition is united.... In 2019 BJP will be finished,” Banerjee, who invited the leaders of the opposition parties as well as Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray to her January 19 rally in Kolkata, told reporters here on Wednesday.
The rally is seen as not just a show of opposition unity but also an attempt to catapult Banerjee to the centrestage. “We are all for all. We will take a decision on collective leadership. If all opposition political parties can join hands and work together in Parliament, then why not fight unitedly outside,” the Trinamul chief and West Bengal Chief Minister said.
On the Congress’ indication of its willingness to accept her candidature as opposition’s PM face, she said, “I am not for any chair, our aim is to defeat the BJP.”