Only Stalin can consolidate INDIA bloc to help Rahul become PM: Mani Shankar Aiyar
The Hindu
Mani Shankar Aiyar asserts M.K. Stalin can unite the INDIA bloc to support Rahul Gandhi's bid for Prime Minister.
Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar on Monday (February 16, 2026) said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin stood the best chance of consolidating the anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) parties in the INDIA bloc to “help Rahul Gandhi assume the Prime Minister’s Office”.
Speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, he said Mr. Stalin had refrained from hurling epithets and coining pseudo-slogans such as “Vote Chori and Chowkidar Chor Hai”. Instead, he remained singularly focused on “every single point that is relevant to federalism in India”, Mr. Aiyar said.
He compared the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister to the iconic Congress leader late K. Kamaraj.
Mr. Aiyar described Mr. Stalin as a “person of great virtue,” adding that he would not stand in the way of Mr. Gandhi becoming Prime Minister.
During the interaction, the former Union Minister termed himself as an outlier in the Congress like Jawaharlal Nehru and Subash Chandra Bose.
“Both leaders rebelled against Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi made Nehru the Prime Minister. The Mahatma would have surely tapped Bose as President if the latter had not lost his life in the tragic air crash. In stark contrast, the current leadership seeks to isolate Gandhian truth tellers like me,” he added.
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