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NATION DECEMBER 29, 2023 | The Indian Eye 9

Bharat Jodo 2.0 and Kharge for PM

INDIA bloc plans moves to snatch

momentum from BJP

Congress says seat-sharing talks would start without delay; Mamata Banerjee says she is ready

for joint campaigning and she was willing to rally for any bloc parties

OUR BUREAU

New Delhi
ongress leaders have requested Rahul
Gandhi to embark on a second ‘Bharat Jodo
C Yatra’ from East to West, Congress MP KC
Venugopal said on Thursday.
He added that the Congress Working Com-
mittee (CWC), the party’s highest decision-mak-
ing body, also supported the idea.
“In the CWC meeting, the Congress president
initially told Rahul Gandhi that he’s getting mas-
sive opinions from the party workers and leaders
from all over India that Rahul Gandhi should do a
second Yatra from east to west. After that, all the
CWC members, unanimously also requested Ra-
hul Gandhi to do the Yatra,” Venugopal said. “The
details of the Yatra and the decision of the Yatra
will be taken without any delay,” he added.
Earlier, the Bharat Jodo Yatra, which started
in Kanyakumari on September 7 last year and was
led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, concluded
on January 30 in Srinagar after covering 3,970 km,
12 states, and two Union territories and having Congress Party President Mallikarjun Kharge with party leaders Rahul Gandhi, and KC Venugopal during the Congress Working
lasted more than 130 days. Committee (CWC) meeting, at AICC headquarters in New Delhi on Thursday (ANI)
In the first leg of the yatra, Gandhi had
walked almost 4,000 km from Kanyakumari to
Kashmir. The impact of Rahul Gandhi’s yatra was talks would start without delay and there was a CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP, Bikash Ranjan said,
seen during the polls in Karnataka and Himach- proposal for “joint rallies” also. “It should have happened. Congress is a pan-India
al Pradesh, as they recorded a sharp increase in Earlier this week, Mamata Banerjee also said party. Congress & CPI(M) has its existence in ev-
strike rate and vote share. she was ready for joint campaigning and she was ery corner of the country...There is acceptance for
When asked about forming alliance with IN- willing to rally for any India bloc parties. Mallilkarjun Kharge as well...”
DIA bloc allies at the state level, the Congress MP Meanwhile, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge has over 50 years of political experience
said that an alliance committee has been formed Kharge’s name was proposed as the prime ministe- under his belt. Kharge rose from the ranks of a grass-
and the committee will take the decision. “Alliance rial candidate for the INDIA bloc by Mamata Ba- root worker to become the chief of that party and
committee has been formed. They will discuss with nerjee and Arvind Kejriwal in the just-held meeting the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.
the state units and they will find out the mecha- in the national, where all 28 partners have con- But, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge
nism to do an alliance with the INDIA alliance verged to chalk plans for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. has played down suggestions about being the
parties,” he said. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee prime ministerial candidate of the INDIA bloc for
“The mood of the country now is against BJP... was the first to propose the name of the Congress the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and said the mat-
We are very much convinced that Congress and President as the prospective PM face of the IN- ter will be decided later and their priority is to try
INDIA alliance is going to fight against this dicta- DIA alliance. and get a majority. “First, all of us have to win, we
torship and rule,” he added. “ Everyone was asking us who is the face of the should think about what needs to be done for vic-
The fourth meeting of the ‘Indian National alliance. I proposed Kharge’s name and Delhi CM tory. Who will be PM, this will be decided later. If
Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc Arvind Kejriwal also backed my proposal. We have there are fewer MPs, what is the point of talking
took place in the national capital Tuesday and was no objection to this and we are happy that Kharge about the PM? First, to increase our numbers, (by)
attended by leaders from 28 alliance partners. will be the face of the alliance, I have no such news coming together, we will try to bring the majority.
Congress leader KC Venugopal told reporters of anyone being unhappy with this decision” said First, we will have to win,” Kharge told reporters
after the meeting yesterday that the seat-sharing Mamata Banerjee while speaking to reporters. after the INDIA meeting on Tuesday.

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