Congress must justify leadership role in INDIA bloc, says ally Omar Abdullah

Acknowledging growing discontent among INDIA bloc partners with the Congress, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has asked the party to justify its leadership role in the alliance instead of taking it for granted. "By virtue of being the single largest party in Parliament, and also having the leader of opposition in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, the fact that they have a pan-India footprint, which no other party can lay claim to, they are natural sort of leaders of an opposition movement," Abdullah told PTI in his first interview after becoming the chief minister in October. Abdullah chose not to give a direct answer to a question about statements made by leaders like Sharad Pawar or Lalu Yadav favouring West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as a better leader but highlighted the INDIA bloc's lack of consistent engagement, warning that the coalition risks becoming a mere election-time convenience. In a candid assessment of recent electoral debacles for Congress, Abdullah highlighted the growing strains within political alliances, particularly focusing on the Congress party's electoral performance and seat distribution strategies.