Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, after the I.N.D.I.A. bloc's meeting ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections which was held in Delhi today, said that their alliance's focus should be on winning elections first, the Prime Minister's face can be decided later.
"Our priority is to win first. Who becomes the PM can be discussed later. If MPs are not there, what is the use of talking about the PM? We should first try to fight unitedly and bring majority," Mallikarjun Kharge said in response to media queries on reports suggesting that West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee proposed his name as the PM face of the I.N.D.I.A. alliance.
Speaking on the suspension of MPs from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha after ruckus over discussions over Parliament security breach issue, Kharge said, "We have passed a resolution that suspension is undemocratic. We will all have to fight to save democracy and all of us are ready to do that. We raised the issue of security breach in the Parliament. We have been saying for a long time that Union HM Amit Shah or PM Modi should come to the Parliament and speak in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha about the issue of Parliament security breach, but they are refusing to do so..."
Further speaking to reporters, Kharge said, "28 parties participated in our fourth meeting and kept their thoughts before the committee of the alliance. It is a matter of happiness that a unanimous decision was taken on how the alliance should go forward."
"We have decided to hold 8-10 meetings across the country. If alliance partners don't come together on one stage, then people will not know about it. It's a good thing that the meeting lasted for 2-3 hours," Kharge said.
Congress chief on seat sharing in I.N.D.I.A. bloc
The Congress president said seat-sharing talks will be held at the state level, and if any issues arise, I.N.D.I.A. bloc leadership will address them. "Whether Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, Bihar, UP, Delhi or Punjab, the issues on seat sharing will be resolved," he said.
"Our people in states will try and forge the arrangements. If there is any issue somewhere, the alliance leaders will resolve it here," Mallikarjun Kharge said.
Kharge on suspension of MPs
Speaking on MPs suspension in Parliament, Mallikarjun Kharge said, "We have taken several decisions, one is on 151 people (suspended MPs). An all-India protest will be held on December 22 against the suspension of MPs."
After the I.N.D.I.A. bloc meeting today, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said, "...All parties are ready to hit the ground after the distribution of tickets very soon."
"I have said from the first day that the strategy of INDIA Alliance will be PDA. We will defeat BJP...UP mein 80 harao aur loktantra bachao...," Akhilesh Yadav added.
"...Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal proposed that Mallikarjun Kharge must be the coordinator of this INDIA team and we will project him as the Prime Minister in the forthcoming elections. But Kharge ji rejected this categorically. He said - no need for this suggestion, after the election only we can decide who is the PM. He immediately rejected this point...," said VCK MP Thol. Thirumavalavan.
Defeating PM Modi not child's play, says Ramdas Athawale
"This meeting (of I.N.D.I.A. alliance) was held to ensure that the country doesn't develop. They have gathered to defeat PM Modi but it is not a child's play," said RPI President
Ramdas Athawale as he took a dig at the Opposition's meeting.
"Every party there has its own name for PM candidate. Nitish Kumar and others' names will also emerge tomorrow, but they will come to power," Athawale said in response to a query on reports suggesting that Mamata Banerjee suggested Kharge's name as PM face of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc.
ALSO READ | Mamata, Kejriwal proposed Mallikarjun Kharge's name for I.N.D.I.A. bloc's PM candidate: Sources
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