The Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance continued to lose clout as the Trinamool Congress fired more salvos at the Congress for failing to provide direction to the anti-BJP movement contending that its main goal was not to pull down the BJP but to launch Priyanka Gandhi in the national politics.

Attacking the Congress Sudip Bandopadhyay --- a senior Lok Sabha member of the TMC which most of the time kept aloof from the INDIA huddle in the Winter Session of Parliament --- on Friday said that "the Congress has repeatedly failed to play its role as a principal opposition party … which was very much evident in the Winter Session also."

On why the TMC was organizing a separate demonstration against Union Home Minister Amit Shah the TMC leader charged the Congress with "political bossism." He said instead of consulting all the parties the Janpath was imposing its will on the INDIA constituents. "It all looked very disorganized … They would not hold discussions with the alliance partners … before a programme … they only expect the constituents to blindly follow what the Congress does … this is not acceptable," he said.

The Congress was "always imposing its decision on the others instead of taking all the parties along with it … it has clearly failed in providing a leadership to the INDIA alliance," he said wondering how a party with a narrow mindset to pitchfork its own leaders could expect success.

"They are only working towards projecting Priyanka Gandhi as a leader instead of organizing the opposition parties … they have always been taking decisions independently … this is the reason why they failed in floor coordination and cut a sorry figure … TMC with self respecting party is clear in its views that Congress has failed to provide leadership," he said refusing to link a previous claim by Trinamool general secretary Abhishek Banerjee that a time had come when Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee should be allowed to lead the INDIA.

Abhishek who is also the nephew of the Chief Minister said that considering the fact that the "TMC led by Mamata Banerjee is the only party in INDIA alliance that has defeated BJP, Congress and the Left," she made the natural choice to lead the opposition alliance.

"She is the seniormost leader …being supported by many veteran national leaders … she has been a seven-time MP, Union Minister … three time Chief Minister … she is the best candidate for the job," the junior Banerjee had said days after another party MP Sagarika Ghose batted for the Bengal Chief Minister. 

Senior TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee too said that the Congress needed to understand that under its leadership, the INDIA bloc had failed adding "if Mamata Banerjee becomes the leader, it will be much better. The alliance needs a leader... Mamata Banerjee knows how to fight political battles. Congress should set aside its ego. Congress removed Mamata Banerjee from its fold due to its ego, and now look at how Mamata Banerjee is doing politics."

. Meanwhile, senior CPI(M) leader and party's central committee member Sujan Chakraborty dismissed Sudip Bandopadhyay's statement saying it did not merit any attention.

"We the Left parties have always been telling that Mamata Banerjee is both inside the INDIA and outside it … she is inside it in order to sabotage it and help the BJP … this is because the BJP is its only savior from the hands of agencies … or else who can explain why little breakthrough has been achieved in Sharada, Narada and other scams including teachers' recruitment, health scams worth thousands of crores if not a lakh crore … Mamata Banerjee and its TMC has been doing what their bosses in the BJP tells them to do."