NEW DELHI: Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee made it clear that she will not play second fiddle to Congress president Rahul Gandhi, even as the tussle over who will lead the Opposition pack in 2019 gets sharper. However TMC MPs will attend a meeting of Opposition parties called by Congress parliamentary party leader Sonia Gandhi on Thursday, February 1.

According to sources, the Congress leadership had asked for convenient dates from Banerjee to set up the meeting so that she could attend it herself. However the Bengal CM has directed her party’s parliamentary leaders Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Derek O’ Brien to be present at the meeting.

While TMC remains part of the united opposition group against the ruling BJP, the TMC chief has been changing tack on accepting Congress’ leadership in the group, since Rahul Gandhi took over as party president and Congress' reasonably good showing in the Gujarat polls.

She has since played up her own positioning in the group, to being treated as “the most credible” leader in the group to lead the pack, or be an equal partner with Congress on account of being the second largest party in Parliament after Congress.

According to TMC sources, Banerjee has been upset with the fact that her idea of keeping the opposition unity together by holding meetings of the 17-odd parties in different parts of the country to give it a pan-Indian and "all are equal partners" feel was ignored by the Congress.

Also, the Congress overlooking a proposal of having other opposition parties address at least one Gujarat poll meeting to give it the perception of a larger opposition standing together, did not go down well with Mamata.

Post AIADMK breaking up after J Jayalaitha’s death, TMC is the second largest party, given its strength in Parliament. While Banerjee had not objected to former Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s leadership in the opposition formation, she refused to fall in line since a “younger and less experienced” Rahul Gandhi took over as party president.

Clearly Banerjee sees herself playing a larger role at the Centre as 2019 draws closer.

TMC MPs refused to attend a meeting of opposition leaders on Monday called by NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, in a clear signal that the TMC chief would not be commanded by leaders who have lesser muscle in the political arena today.

TMC MPs said on Tuesday, “Going by credibility that is key to acceptability of any leader, Mamata Banerjee should play the lead role. She has 25 years of parliamentary experience, has been cabinet minister three times, is chief minister and the supreme leader in her party, and hence is the most accepted leader of the day."

