NEW DELHI : Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee proposed that we INDIA alliance should project (Congress president) Mallikarjun Kharge as our PM candidate. However, Kharge rejected her point, saying there is no point in announcing a coordinator or our PM face. He said that we should decide about it only after the polls,”
Ms Banerjee who declared yesterday that the INDIA bloc will not take a call on its Prime Ministerial candidate until after the Lok Sabha election took a 180-degree turn today by proposing Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s name for the position.
A senior leader told Newstrack24x7.com Ms Banerjee made the proposal at the ongoing meet of the Opposition INDIA bloc. Mr Kharge being a prominent Dalit face in the Opposition, the plan got widespread approval.
Twelve of the participating parties applauded the plan. Even Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal known for being mostly out-of-sync with the Congress seconded the idea. “This is a chance to have the country’s first Dalit Prime Minister,” sources quoted him as saying.
Mr Kharge said “We have to win first, and think what to do to win. What is the point in discussing PM before having MPs. The wide approval of Mr Kharge is also seen as an indication of his stature among the Opposition parties.Mr Kharge said the contentious issue of seat sharing will be handled at the state level.
On the other hand, it was seen as a snub to Rahul Gandhi, over whose candidature for the top post, the opposition has always been dividedAccording to Sources the TMC and several other parties have decided on December 31 as the deadline for seat-sharing talks. 28 parties had taken part in today’s mega meet of the INDIA bloc.
CPI General Secretary D Raja says, ” Now, it has been decided first to take up the issue of suspension of MPs because it is an onslaught on our democracy, So there should be protests across the country and the call has been given for a mass protest… Nothing (on the PM candidate)… We have given a call for mass protest across the country in all state headquarters on 22nd (December)..The INDIA bloc to hold eight to ten joint rallies across the nation “to tell people about the alliance and that it was united and going strong”.
No clear timeline, however, emerged from the meeting on the contentious issue of seat-sharing before the 2024 general elections. We should conclude the seat-sharing arrangement as early as possible, and we’ll have to put up a strong collective fight against BJP…” While the TMC insisted during the fourth meeting of the INDIA parties here on Tuesday that the seat-sharing should be finalised by December 31, the Congress asserted it could be sealed by the second week of January after all issues are ironed out smoothly.
While, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray proposed during the meeting that state-level seat sharing be finalised by the month-end and final overall seat-sharing be completed by the second week of January. TMC proposed at the meeting that the Congress can fight 300 seats and let Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav be captain in Uttar Pradesh, AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi and Punjab, and the TMC in West Bengal.
“Our people in states will decide amongst themselves (on seat sharing) and if there is any issue in it (seat sharing) or it cannot take place then the INDIA coalition leaders will decide on it. In many places like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana or Bihar or the issue in UP, it will be resolved. How to resolve the problem of Delhi and Punjab, that will also eventually be decided,” Kharge said. Congress sources said the seat sharing would be finalised by second week of January.
The Congress’s insistence on contesting from the political turfs of its allies had initially proven to be a roadblock for seat-sharing talks. However, after the Congress’s poor performance in the recent assembly elections, it is likely that the grand old party may budge from its hardened position.

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