INDIA bloc proposes Congress chief Kharge as PM face: Report
Leaders of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) have reportedly proposed Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge as their prime ministerial face for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. At Tuesday's opposition bloc meeting in New Delhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal proposed his name. Moreover, seat-sharing agreements between INDIA bloc members were also discussed at the meeting.
No opposition to suggestion of Kharge's name: MDMK MP Vaiko
Why does this story matter?
The INDIA's Tuesday meeting was seen as crucial, given seat sharing and a joint campaign for the upcoming polls, following recent assembly poll losses, were on the agenda. It also came after the suspension of a staggering 142 opposition MPs over alleged "misconduct" and protests against last week's Parliament security breach during the ongoing Parliament Winter Session. This was the bloc's fourth meeting.
Who all attended INDIA bloc meeting
From the Congress, Kharge and former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, among others, attended the meeting. Besides Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Banerjee and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Kejriwal, prominent leaders like Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar were also present. Kejriwal said nominating Kharge could give India its first Dalit PM.
Banerjee earlier said PM will be chosen after polls
Notably, Banerjee earlier said the opposition bloc's prime ministerial candidate would only be chosen after the 2024 polls. She emphasized the alliance was focused only on defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). But she proposed Kharge's name on Tuesday, and around 12 parties backed her, per NDTV. Kharge, on the other hand, declined the PM candidate proposal, saying he wanted to serve the downtrodden.
What Kharge said on proposal
Politely refusing the bloc's proposal to name him as their PM candidate, Kharge said opposition parties should first focus on winning the upcoming general election. "We have to win first and think what to do to win. What is the point in discussing [the PM face] before having [enough MPs]. We will try to get a majority together," Kharge told reporters after the meeting.
Opposition to hold pan-India protest against MP suspensions
Following the meeting, Kharge said leaders from all 28 parties of the INDIA participated. He also announced a pan-India protest against the suspension of opposition MPs on December 22. A discussion on the reliability of electronic voting machines (EVMs) was held, too. Meanwhile, Communist Party of India (CPI) General Secretary D Raja said the meeting also saw a reference to a common minimum program.
Congress forms committee to deal with seat-sharing
Before the meeting, the Congress announced it constituted the National Alliance Committee for seat-sharing discussions. The panel, comprising senior leaders, will negotiate with other INDIA allies on seat adjustments for the Lok Sabha polls. Led by veteran party leader Mohan Prakash as the convenor, it includes former chief ministers Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel and former Union ministers Salman Khurshid and Mukul Wasnik, too.
Meeting comes amid historic Parliament suspensions
The meeting came as over 140 opposition MPs have been suspended from the Parliament since last week. Forty-nine Lok Sabha MPs were suspended on Tuesday, while 68 members from both Houses were suspended for the entire session on Monday. Another 11 Rajya Sabha members remain suspended until a Privileges Committee report is submitted. Last week, 14 MPs, including one Rajya Sabha member, were suspended.
Why opposition MPs were suspended
Opposition MP suspensions resulted from protests calling for a statement in Parliament from Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the security breach. On December 13, two individuals—Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D—jumped into the Lok Sabha's chamber from the visitors' gallery, shouting slogans and setting off smoke canisters. Two others—Neelam Azad and Amol Shinde—staged a similar demonstration outside the Parliament.
