Soon after the Janata Dal (United) ditched the Opposition’s grand alliance to rejoin the NDA, party leader KC Tyagi on Sunday (January 28) came down heavily on Congress and alleged that Congress wanted to “steal” the leadership of the I.N.D.I.A bloc through “conspiracy”. Tyagi also said that Congress kept on dragging the seat-sharing talks sidelining the suggestions for its urgency. The remarks came after Nitish Kumar resigned as the Bihar Chief Minister, ending his over a year association with Mahagathbandhan and the I.N.D.I.A bloc.
Tyagi alleged that it was first decided in the Mumbai meeting of the joint Opposition that the Lok Sabha elections will be fought without a Prime Ministerial face, however, in the December 19 meeting that took place in Delhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s name was projected as the PM face “through a conspiracy”.
“Congress wanted to steal the leadership of INDIA alliance. In the meeting that took place on 19th December, through a conspiracy, to get the leadership of INDIA alliance, Mallikarjun Kharge's name was proposed (as PM face), earlier in the meeting that took place in Mumbai, it was unanimously decided that without any PM face, INDIA alliance will work...through a conspiracy, Mamata Banerjee was made to propose Kharge's name as PM face,” Tyagi alleged.
“All other parties have made their own identity by fighting against Congress...Congress kept dragging the seat sharing, we kept saying that seat sharing needs to happen immediately...INDIA lacked plans to fight against BJP,” he added.
I.N.D.I.A bloc died untimely death in politics: JDU MLC
JD(U) MLC Neeraj Kumar said that the party made the decision to quit the Opposition alliance due to the "absence of seriousness" in the bloc, and added that the grand alliance, comprising over 25 parties, died an "untimely death".
"We are going to form a new government with BJP and HAM. For those who were claiming that it wouldn't be easy this time - we submitted a letter of support by 128 MLAs, at the Raj Bhavan. CM will be sworn in as a 9th-time CM...We made this decision due to the absence of seriousness in INDIA Alliance...INDIA Alliance has died an untimely death in politics. Their story is finished..." he said.
Congress reacts
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said that he knew that Nitish Kumar would exit the alliance, adding "There are many people in the country like 'Aaya Ram-Gaya Ram'.
"Earlier he and us were fighting together. When I talked to Lalu Ji and Tejashwi, they also said that Nitish is going. If he wanted to stay, he would have stayed but he wants to go. That's why we already knew this, but to keep the I.N.D.I.A bloc intact, if we say something wrong, the wrong message will be sent. This information was already given to us by Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav. Today that came true. There are many people in the country like 'Aaya Ram-Gaya Ram'," Kharge said.
(With ANI inputs)
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