Mamata Banerjee’s address at the Netaji Indoor Stadium on Thursday seemed to be peppered with messages to the Congress and other co-constituents of the Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), several political observers told this newspaper.

In her address, the Trinamul Congress chairperson endorsed party MP Mahua Moitra, who is known for taking a belligerent stand against Gautam Adani and virtually echoed Rahul Gandhi’s taunt of Narendra Modi over India’s defeat in the World Cup final.

Plus, she was silent on the Congress in political attacks.

For the first time since her party’s Martyrs’ Day event on July 21, Mamata addressed a public meeting on Thursday. She spoke for 68 minutes and much like her 41-minute address four months ago, she spoke also as a principal leader of the newly-formed national bloc of anti-BJP parties as much as the Bengal chief minister or the chairperson of the state’s ruling party.

Political observers and party colleagues read into the speech her attempt to reach out to other allies in INDIA, and the messaging assumes importance in the run-up to the December 3 results to Assembly elections in five states.

“The Congress is likely to do well in at least three of the five, so Didi (Mamata) is making the right noises in her outreach exercise with regard to INDIA,” said a Trinamul leader.

Her messages would have soothed nerves in the national anti-BJP political space, in the run-up to the perform-or-perish general election next year.

A Trinamul insider said several INDIA constituents had claimed to have seen a “very different” Mamata in the September meeting of the bloc at Mumbai, after she played a crucial role in the previous meetings at Patna and Bengaluru.

“There were some doubts in the INDIA space, which she was also aware of. She knew what the apprehensions meant and wanted to allay those fears,” he said.

A senior Trinamul MP — who spent much of his youth in the Congress along with Mamata before the formation of their party in 1998 — underscored the notable INDIA or Congress elements in Mamata’s speech, besides her silence on the Grand Old Party and the endorsement of Moitra.

First, she virtually echoed Rahul Gandhi’s “panauti (bringer of misfortune)” remark with regard to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s presence at his eponymous stadium in Ahmedabad for the men’s ODI cricket World Cup final, which India lost to Australia. Instead of “panauti”, she used “paapishtho (sinners)”, and alluded to not only Modi but also Union home minister Amit Shah.

Second, she rued the taint of the Bofors scandal of the 1980s, of which Rahul’s father and deceased former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was absolved of long after his assassination. Mamata was known for her proximity to the former Prime Minister, whose cabinet she was a member of.

Third, the Trinamul chief fondly recalled the time she and many of her colleagues in the old guard spent – as Youth Congress or Congress leaders and workers -- getting “beaten up” in the struggles of being in the Opposition during the Left regime in Bengal.

Fourth, her praise of INDIA. Fifth, her reiteration of the claim to the naming of the bloc. Sixth, her mocking Modi and the saffron ecosystem’s cowardice in trying to have the nation called “Bharat” right after the formation of INDIA.

“The seventh was her general air of confidence in INDIA’s chances in the general election,” said the MP.

Till the saffron regime’s manoeuvres earlier this year to have Rahul disqualified as a member of the Lok Sabha, Mamata had been pitching firmly in favour of an pan-India coalition of Opposition forces with equidistance from the BJP as well as the Congress, for which she was being fiercely criticised in the national Opposition space. Since his persecution, however, she drastically recalibrated her approach of untouchability towards Rahul and his party,

The process of improvement was accelerated by the two meetings of the national Opposition, in Patna and Bengaluru. Especially in Bengaluru, where INDIA was formed, her public cordiality towards Rahul – whom she called “our favourite” in a joint news conference – and his mother, Sonia Gandhi, was deemed most significant.

Sources said there are indications that Mamata might also directly represent her party in INDIA again, instead of letting nephew and heir apparent Abhishek Banerjee do so.

“Major INDIA constituents severely distrust the intentions of a certain poll consultant previously hired by our party. While he has fallen out of favour with the aunt, the nephew continues to take him seriously,” said a Trinamul insider.

“Abhishek will continue to represent the party in the INDIA coordination committee. But she will attend meetings again, and play a more active role in negotiations,” he added.