At a time when there is renewed talk of Opposition unity in the context of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said his party was in talks with other parties and asserted that an alliance led by the Congress would come to power at the Centre next year. His statement comes days ahead of the Congress’s plenary session in Raipur where the party is likely to spell out its approach towards Opposition unity. Addressing an election rally in Chumukedima in Nagaland, Kharge lashed out at the BJP, accusing it of toppling elected governments in Karnataka, Manipur, Goa, and Madhya Pradesh by pressuring the MLAs. “On one side, you talk about democracy and the Constitution. And on the other hand, all your acts are undemocratic. You are not following the Constitution. And you are not going according to democratic principles. Modi has several times said ‘I am the only man who can face the country (and that) no other people can touch me’ … he says it proudly. No democratic man can talk like that. You should remember that you are in a democracy. You are not an autocrat, you are not a dictator. You are elected by people and people will teach you a lesson in 2024,” Kharge said. The Congress president said an alliance government led by the Congress would come to power next year. “In 2024, the alliance government will come to (power in) the Centre. The Congress will lead. We are talking with other parties. Because otherwise democracy and the Constitution will go. Therefore, with every party now and then we are calling, we are talking, we are sharing our views on how to win 2024. Therefore, the BJP will not get a majority. Some people say they will not get a majority. All other parties together, of course, the Congress will lead and we will get the majority. We will follow the Constitution. We will follow democracy,” said Kharge. “Let 100 Modis or Shahs come, this is India and the Constitution is very strong,” he added. Kharge’s remarks come days after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said he was waiting for a signal from the Congress to work towards bringing Opposition parties together. Kharge’s comments signal that the Congress and other Opposition parties are talking about joining hands but it is still not clear whether the parties will form an alliance before elections or prefer a post-poll coalition depending on the numbers. The Congress has time and again said that Opposition unity has to be built around it and any alliance without a central role for the party will lack political heft and won’t be credible. Kharge’s remarks may not be to the liking of several Opposition parties such as the Trinamool Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).
