New Delhi, Dec 7 (IANS): Internal rift in the INDIA bloc has once again come to the fore as West Bengal Chief Mamata Banerjee has expressed her willingness to lead the opposition alliance.

Responding to Mamata’s remarks, senior Janata Dal (United) leader KC Tyagi on Saturday said that the regional leaders are not happy with Rahul Gandhi's leadership and there is also a dispute regarding leadership in the INDIA bloc.

While answering a question on the latest friction in the INDIA bloc involving Mamata’s statement, he told IANS, “That is why Janata Dal-United and Nitish Kumar came out of the alliance. We knew about its future that it cannot work together.”

Speaking on the Maharashtra episode where Shiv Sena (UBT) MLAs did not take oath during the special Assembly session on Saturday, he said, “They do not have faith in democracy and the Constitution and on the contrary, the Samajwadi Party MLAs have shown them a mirror by taking an oath.”

On AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal raking up law and order issues in Delhi, Tyagi said, “Elections are to be held in Delhi within the next two months and that is why all the parties are busy with their poll strategies.”

Meanwhile, the Congress on Saturday responded to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's willingness to lead the INDIA bloc, emphasising that leadership decisions for the Opposition alliance would be made collectively by all member parties rather than public declarations.

Mamata recently voiced dissatisfaction with the functioning of the INDIA bloc and stated her readiness to lead the alliance if given the opportunity.

The Trinamool Congress chief also clarified that while she would not leave Bengal, she could oversee the bloc's operations from there.

Her remarks followed Trinamool MP Kirti Azad's suggestion, along with many others, that the West Bengal Chief Minister should be appointed as the head of the INDIA bloc.