Didi determined to challenge Modi, also Rahul for PM job?

Why only Rahul Gandhi and CongressIJ Why not other parties and leaders with proven track record of fighting against the BJP like Trinamool Congress and Mamata BanerjeeIJ asks a senior Trinamool Congress leader adding next instant, “2019 is anybody’s game. It could be any one from the Opposition. The only criterion should be one’s charisma and ability to bind the whole Opposition together.” 

The senior leader and a Minister who speaks on condition of anonymity reminds about a recent passing statement from the Bengal Chief Minister’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee about her aunt’s “mass appeal, image and abilities,” that would act as a glue for the opposition forces and automatically make her a prime ministerial choice.

On Congress’ president’s “mission 400” and his expressed desire of ascending the Prime Ministerial chair post 2019 general elections, the South Kolkata-based leader says “Rahul Gandhi will be the best candidate if the Congress crosses the half-way mark. 

If not then it will be anybody’s game and considering Mamata Banerjee’s incessant fight against the BJP through the last 4-5 years one is sure the people of the country will want to see her there so as to provide the Federal Front Government some permanence.”

Though Mamata Banerjee has kept her cards close to her chest saying she would play the role of one small cog in the giant wheel of her proposed Federal Front insiders in the Trinamool Congress say she has been in constant touch with a number of leaders including her Andhra and Telengana counterparts Chandrababu Naidu and K Chandrashekhar Rao apart from the DMK and even NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

When asked as to whether she was in the Prime Ministerial race Banerjee recently said, “I am small person whose only goal is to serve the people in any form.”

 But when asked to comment on Rahul Gandhi’s dreams of bagging the top job she said “if the Congress wins why notIJ.

Every person and every party has the right to form the Government if it gets the majority,” before hurriedly wondering whether the Congress would go till the half way mark.

In that case she said the field was wide open for other players to try their lucks. On whether she was one of them she said she would continue to work for the people and strive towards make India a truly federal power.

Though personally Banerjee has refused to make her plans public she is doing the basics to ensure that Trinamool goes to Delhi with as many seats as possible, sources say. 

According to reports she has already directed her party leaders, regional satraps, especially strongmen in charge of districts to ensure a 42-nil result in Bengal so that her party goes to Delhi with all the lok Sabha seats from the State including that of Darjeeling which is currently with the BJP, insiders say.

A visit at the Trinamool Bhavan in Kolkata may tell you all about the wind that blows inside the State party headquarters. Each party member: from leader to worker speaks the same lingo, “we want Didi in Delhi.”