First we have to win the polls, says Kharge on INDIA bloc’s choice of prime minister
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge during a press conference for the release of the party manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections, in New Delhi, Friday, April 5, 2024. (PTI: Photo/Ravi Choudhary)
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is already mapping out programs for the next five years and calling up all secretaries and that “this kind of overconfidence and arrogance is not good for the country and democracy.”
He said who will be the Prime Minister’s face of the INDIA bloc is an issue to be resolved only after the results. “First we have to win the elections.”
In an interview with PTI, the Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka said that after Congress won the assembly elections in Karnataka, Telangana and Himachal Pradesh, things are looking “positive and good”.
“Our guarantee schemes have proven that people want programs and schemes that have benefits such as price reductions. These have captured voter attention,” he said.
Reacting to Modi’s claims that the NDA would win over 400 seats in the Lok Sabha polls, Kharge said, “Thankfully, he did not say ‘ab ki baar baar 600 par’. This self-serving propaganda, which undermines the opposition and portrays that I am everything is unhappy.”
“Even leaders who have the confidence to come to power will not speak this way. He is already mapping out programs for the next five years and calling on all secretaries. This kind of hubris and arrogance is not good for the country and democracy,” he said.
Noting that there was a similar situation in 2004 when the BJP portrayed that India was shining and that Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the most suitable Prime Minister, the AICC chief said, “What happened then? A Congress-led government was formed under Manmohan Singh. He (Singh) emerged as a better Prime Minister. We saw the economy flourishing. Many policies and programs were formed at that time and he was a better administrator.”
“You should not undermine Indian democracy. The Indian voter is very smart. He (Modi) is trying to oppress everyone. If a level playing field is provided, you will see a repeat of the 2004 results,” he added.
Kharge said that in a coalition, consensus is reached through discussions and deliberations. Kharge said the INDIA alliance will discuss the appropriate person to lead the coalition once the results are out.
“…who will be the Prime Minister – that will be an issue that can only be resolved after the results. First we have to win the elections and then, depending on what the alliance partner says, discussions (will) take place. Congress Party I am never been shy about that. First, we have to win the elections,” he added.
Pointing out that he has said he will not contest the Lok Sabha elections, Kharge said, “My seat in Kalaburgi has already been taken.”
Kharge’s son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani is contesting as a Congress candidate from the Lok Sabha seat of Gulbarga (Kalaburagi), from where Kharge successfully contested the 2009 and 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The veteran leader had lost the seat to BJP’s Umesh Jadhav in 2019.
Regarding the Congress candidates for the Nehru-Gandhi family bastions of Amethi and Raebareli, he said the elections will be held there at a later stage, and “so there is still time.”
“Let’s see what will happen. We will tell it at an appropriate time. It is not good to open my cards. In politics it is important to avoid surprises. We will discuss, we will deliberate and we will get feedback. There is a democratic process in the Congress party and in due course we will respond to a call. It is not like BJP where Modi has the final say on everything,” he said.
Kharge alleged that the BJP was benefiting greatly from the electoral bond program and said one must always ensure a level playing field.
“But there was no transparency in this plan. The BJP has used all agencies to threaten business houses and establishments and take away money. They have also favored some businessmen and taken money from them. ‘Chanda do dhanda lo’, how can you claim that? clean if you turn your arm and take money?” he said.
“These companies were corrupt in the Congress government, the TRS government and the TMC government, and when they joined the BJP, they were clean, right?” he asked and said. Similarly, leaders who were corrupt when they were members of other political parties became ‘clean’ when they joined the BJP, and some of them were made chief ministers, union ministers and Rajya Sabha members.
(Only the headline and image of this report may have been reworked by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)
First print: April 17, 2024 | 12:25 pm IST