Congress seems to be confident that this Lok Sabha elections, the Opposition bloc Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) will get seats "well above" the majority mark of 272 needed to form a government at the Centre and remove the Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led dispensation.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said on Thursday that it will take just 48 hours for the INDIA bloc to decide on its prime ministerial pick after it gets a "decisive mandate" in the Lok Sabha elections, counting of votes for which is taking place on June 4.
Several top opposition parties came under an alliance in July last year and named it INDIA - Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance - with a common aim of taking on the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dispensation at the Centre and states.
While 28 opposition parties came together to form the INDIA bloc, some parties such as Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) later switched over to the NDA.
The INDIA bloc has often faced questions on how they plan to choose a prime ministerial face without a clash with many top leaders of big political parties under one alliance.
Congress Tells Who Is 'Natural Claimant' For PM Seat
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, in an interview with news agency PTI, asserted that it stands to reason that the party which gets the maximum seats in the alliance will be a "natural claimant" for its leadership.
Jairam Ramesh 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 will get the people's mandate, then not only INDIA parties but also some NDA parties may join the coalition," news agency PTI quoted him as saying.
"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.
Jairam Ramesh quipped that the difference between INDIA and NDA is of two I's -- I for 'insaniyat' and 'I' for 'imaandaari'. Those parties that have 'imaandaari (honesty)' and 'insaniyat (humanity)', but are in the NDA, will join the INDIA parties, he said.
Ramesh said an INDIA bloc government formed after getting the mandate from the people will be "authoritative" but not "authoritarian".
