INDIA bloc meet: Mamata, Kejriwal back Mallikarjun Kharge as Oppn’s PM face, he says let’s win first

Meanwhile, with most of their MPs suspended, the Opposition parties have decided to hold a nationwide protest against the “undemocratic” action on December 22, the last day of the Winter Session.

Responding to questions on the alliance’s PM candidate, Kharge said the parties first need to focus on winning the polls. The decision on who becomes the PM can be taken later, he said. “If we do not have MPs, what is the objective of talking about the PM. So, we will contest collectively to win majority,” he said. “After winning, our MPs will follow the democratic process (to elect PM),” he said.

Sources said that no other party leader expressed an opinion on the proposal to name a PM candidate. JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, however, reiterated that he was not in the race for any post including PM.

A party leader said since a discussion on the prime ministerial candidate was not part of the agenda, there was no structured discussion on it.

However, sources said that Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray was of the view that the alliance should appoint a convenor.

According to sources, the meeting, attended by heads of parties, also saw several leaders blaming the Congress for letting the alliance lose the momentum it had gained earlier.

Citing the recent Assembly elections, several leaders, including Samajwadi Party’s Ram Gopal Yadav, JD(U)’s Lallan Singh and RJD leader and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav are learnt to have argued that the Congress should not have put the alliance on the back-burner.

In a tacit admission, the Congress leaders are learnt to have urged them to forget the past and move forward, focusing on forging stronger ties to take on the BJP unitedly in the Lok Sabha elections.

According to sources, there was a broad understanding that seat-sharing talks should be completed before December 31, and the parties should hold joint rallies and campaigns before the Ram Temple consecration ceremony on January 22.

Kharge said seat-sharing would first be discussed at the state level. If any problems arise, then it would be taken up at the central level, he said.

Seeking to show that the Congress was serious about seat-sharing, the party announced a National Alliance Committee just before the INDIA meeting. The five-member committee comprises senior party leaders Mukul Wasnik (convenor), Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Baghel, Salman Khurshid and Mohan Prakash.

Sources said that SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav also asked the Congress to decide whether it would go with the SP or BSP in Uttar Pradesh.

“Some members expressed apprehension that the grand programmes that the BJP and RSS are going to organise on opening of the Ram Temple, in Ayodhya and other parts of the country, can influence voters,” said a party leader.

“No strategy was discussed to counter the BJP on the Ram Temple issie. But we will hold joint rallies to send the message that the INDIA bloc is a competitor,” said a leader.

A JD(U) leader said a decision was taken to hold a grand rally of INDIA parties in Patna on January 30, the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The leaders of the 28 parties who participated in the over three-hour-long meeting are also learnt to have decided to hold 8-10 joint meetings across the country to put up a united front.

A resolution was also passed to ask the Election Commission to ensure maximum use of VVPATs in the upcoming polls. “Instead of the VVPAT slip falling in the box, it should be handed over to the voter who shall then place it in a separate ballot box after having verified his or her choice. 100% counting of VVPAT slips should then be done,” reads the resolution.

In the context of seat-sharing in the Assembly elections, some leaders are learnt to have pointed out that the Congress should have been more understanding and shown a bigger heart. In informal talks, the Congress leadership blamed its state leadership for the lack of seat adjustments.

“It was discussed that if all the parties of INDIA bloc had addressed joint rallies before the recent Assembly polls, results could have been different,” said a leader who was present at the meeting.