On 20th December, Congress Party President Mallikarjun Kharge refused to comment on his name being forwarded as the face of Prime Minister for the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. Replying to media queries after his statement in the I.N.D.I. Alliance meeting, Kharge emphasised on winning the elections first and then deciding who would become the country’s prime minister.
He said, “Our primary focus is on winning. What needs to be done to achieve victory is something we will collectively consider. The discussion about becoming the Prime Minister can come later. Talking about the Prime Minister’s position holds no significance if there is no majority. Therefore, our initial goal is to unite and strive to increase our numbers.”
He added, “We will collectively fight to bring a majority and make efforts to enhance our strength. After a few elections, the BJP and Mr Modi seem to have developed a sense of arrogance, as if there will be no one left in the country or the world except for them. They project themselves as the sole leaders. Hence, our first endeavour will be to win. How can we, as a united front, secure victory? I have repeatedly reiterated that I am repeating it – first, we will win. After that, our MPs can discuss what can be done within the democratic process. Our primary concern is winning, and you should think in that direction.
#WATCH | After the conclusion of the INDIA Alliance meeting, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge says" Our first priority is to win (elections). We will think about winning before deciding the name of the Prime Minister. If there will be no MPs, it makes no sense talking about… pic.twitter.com/11rf9YoCOz
— ANI (@ANI) December 19, 2023
Insisting that deciding the PM face is I.N.D.I. Alliance’s internal matter, he added, “Instead of getting into discussions about who said what, whether it was us or someone else, this is our internal matter, and there is no need for anyone else to be involved.”
Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav walked out after Kharge’s name was proposed.
Reportedly, Bihar’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav walked out of the alliance meeting after Kharge’s name was proposed as PM candidate. India Today quoted unnamed sources saying that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee proposed his name during the alliance meeting in Delhi. JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar and RJD chief Lalu Yadav expressed their disagreement and walked out of the meeting. Furthermore, they did not attend the press conference either.
Notably, JD(U) MLAs and RJD leaders had publically demanded that Nitish Kumar should be the PM face for the I.N.D.I Alliance for Lok Sabha Elections 2024. Lalu Pradas Yadav also supported Kumar’s name as PM candidate. Experts believe that supporting Nitish Kumar in national politics is to clear the path for Tejashwi Yadav to become Chief Minister of Bihar. Currently, Yadav is serving as deputy CM of the state.
Nitish-Baalu war of words over English translation of the speech
As the Lok Sabha elections are approaching, the differences between the parties that are part of the I.N.D.I Alliance are becoming more apparent. As per reports, during the recent alliance meeting in Delhi, Nitish Kumar lost his cool when Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader TR Baalu sought an English translation of his speech delivered in Hindi. After Kumar’s speech, when Baalu sought the transition, Kumar snapped at him and asserted that Hindi is the national language and everyone should learn it.
Several leaders had to step in to calm him down as he went on for several minutes giving a lecture on Indian history and English imposition to Baalu. After his speech, Yadav spoke at the meeting. Both the speeches were not translated, the sources were revealed to The Hindu. Notably, in the earlier sessions, Rajya Sabha MP and RJD leader Manoj K Jha used to translate the speeches given in English and circulate among the leaders who are not well versed in Hindi. Baalu, expecting the same process to happen, sought the translation.
Following Kumar’s outburst, leaders, including Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal, who spoke in Hindi in earlier meetings, chose to speak in English to avoid any more word battle over the matter.
The fight over seats in Punjab
Earlier, OpIndia reported how AAP and Congress have locked horns virtually by claiming their right to contest Lok Sabha Elections on all 13 seats in Punjab. While AAP chief Kejriwal has asserted that his party can win all 13 seats if given a chance, Punjab Congress’s President Amrinder Singh Raja Warring has categorically said that Congress will not form an Alliance with AAP in Punjab for Lok Sabha Elections that are scheduled in the first half of 2024.
