Congress leader Rahul Gandhi held a crucial telephonic conversation with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday, addressing reported concerns arising from the 'Mallikarjun Kharge for PM' proposition at the recent INDIA bloc meeting. Sources within the Janata Dal (United) revealed that Rahul clarified the Congress's position on Kharge's potential candidacy for the prime ministerial role, a proposal put forth by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal earlier this week.
While Banerjee and Kejriwal suggested Kharge as a prospective 'first Dalit prime minister,' no definitive decision was reached during the meeting. Leaders, including MDMK leader Vaiko, confirmed this outcome, stating that Kharge emphasized the importance of winning first and expanding the alliance's strength before deciding on leadership roles.
The telephonic discussion between Rahul and Nitish also delved into the strength of the alliance. During talks on the Bihar cabinet expansion, Rahul underscored Nitish's role, with the Bihar Chief Minister expressing unawareness regarding the proposal involving Kharge. Nitish assured Rahul of his willingness to increase the number of Congress ministers in the cabinet whenever necessary.
Addressing the delay in cabinet expansion, Nitish attributed it to the lack of clarity from Lalu Yadav's side. Meanwhile, Union Minister Giriraj Singh claimed that Lalu Yadav expressed his desire for his son, Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, to assume the position of Chief Minister, stating that Bihar would prosper under Tejashwi's leadership.
In a separate development, the Congress announced that the party's candidates for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls would be decided 'very soon.' During a four-hour Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi, Rahul Gandhi was urged to undertake 'Bharat Jodo Yatra 2.0' from east to west. The proposal is currently under positive consideration, according to a senior party leader who spoke to news agency PTI.
The CWC meeting, attended by 76 leaders including Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, discussed recent Assembly poll results, the upcoming Lok Sabha election, and the current political landscape in the country, including parliamentary issues.
