More parties will join us, will announce our PM in less than 48 hours: INDIA block
New Delhi: Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has said that the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc will get a “decisive mandate” in the Lok Sabha polls and may take even less than 48 hours to decide on its prime ministerial pick
According to Kashmir Media Service, Jairam Ramesh in a media interview asserted it stands to reason that the party which gets the maximum seats in the alliance will be a “natural claimant” for its leadership.
He exuded confidence that the INDIA block would get seats “well above” the 272-mark needed for a majority in the Lower House. He also said that when the INDIA ‘janbandhan’ parties will get the people’s mandate, then some NDA parties may join the coalition and the Congress high command will have to decide whether to include them in the alliance or not.
Asked whether post-polls doors will remain open for NDA allies such as JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar and TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu, the Congress leader said, “Nitish Kumar is the master of ‘palti (volte-face)’.
“Naidu was with the Congress in alliance in 2019. I would say when INDIA janbandhan parties get the people’s mandate, then not only INDIA parties but also some NDA parties may join the coalition,” he said.
“The high command of the Congress, Kharge ji, Rahul ji, Sonia ji, will have to decide whether to include them in the INDIA bloc,” he said.
Ramesh said an INDIA bloc government formed after getting the mandate from the people will be “authoritative” but not “authoritarian”.