Mamata Banerjee loses pole position in Opposition

Recent actions of Trinamool Congress (TMC) Chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will undoubtedly weaken her candidature as the fulcrum of Opposition unity. Her conduct in the election of the president and the vice-president confirms her image as an unpredictable leader.

She has refused to support Margret Alva as the consensus Opposition candidate for vice-president, allegedly upset at not being consulted. Her party MPs have also refused to join Opposition protests in Parliament against price-rise, growing unemployment and imposition of GST on retail sale of essential food items.

Despite having proposed Yashwant Sinha as the Opposition candidate for