Mamata Banerjee Proposes Congress Leader Kharge's Name For INDI Alliance PM Face, Arvind Kejriwal Supports: Report

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who stated yesterday (19 December) that the INDI Alliance bloc would defer the decision on its Prime Ministerial candidate until after the Lok Sabha election, made a surprising shift today by nominating Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge for the position.

According to a report from NDTV, Banerjee proposed Kharge's name during the ongoing Opposition bloc meeting, emphasising his prominent role as a Dalit figure within the Opposition, garnering widespread approval.

12 of the participating parties reportedly supported Banerjee's proposal, and even Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, often at odds with the Congress, endorsed the idea.

Despite the positive reception, sources suggest that Kharge politely declined the nomination, expressing his desire to focus on working for the marginalised.

The Opposition has faced criticism from the ruling BJP for contesting against Ramnath Kovind and Droupadi Murmu, both belonging to Scheduled Castes and Tribes, in the Presidential election.

The BJP has accused the Congress and other parties of being anti-Dalit and anti-tribal.