"No Consequence If Contest Elections Without Face": Sharad Pawar On INDI Alliance's PM Candidate After Banerjee Proposed Kharge's Name

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader, Sharad Pawar, asserted that not having a pre-decided prime ministerial candidate for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections would not have any negative impact. This statement was in response to a query about a potential PM candidate from the Opposition's INDI Alliance.

According to Hindustan Times, he drew parallels with the 1977 general elections, where the name of the eventual Prime Minister, Morarji Desai, was not put forward prior to the elections, even though he later headed the government under the banner of the newly established Janata Party.

“In the 1977 elections, no face was projected for PM and after the election, Moraraji Desai was elected for the PM post. Desai's name was nowhere before the elections and in fact, a new party came into existence. After the polls, Moraraji Desai was made PM. There are no consequences if a face is not projected. If people are in the mood for change, they will take a call to bring about that change,” Pawar said.

The ex-Union minister's remarks were made as some factions of the bloc were purportedly in agreement to propose the name of Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge as the Prime Ministerial candidate. Nonetheless, the INDI Alliance has not yet officially declared a nominee.

During the fourth INDI Alliance meeting in New Delhi last week, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee revealed that she had suggested Kharge as a possible Prime Ministerial candidate representing the alliance. It was reported that numerous parties supported this proposal, such as AAP convener and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, who is typically not in alignment with the Congress party.