“PM of INDIA alliance will be decided after coming to power…”: Congress Leader PL Punia

LUCKNOW: Congress Leader PL Punia has said that the Prime Minister for the INDIA bloc will be decided after coming to power.

Talking to ANI, PL Punia also said that elected MPs from the coalition will elect the PM once the alliance comes to power.

“INDIA alliance has decided that Prime Minister will be decided after coming to power. The elected MPs will choose the PM,” the Congress leader said. The Opposition parties met to chalk out a strategy to put out a united front to take on the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.

Notably, INDIA or ‘Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance’ is a group of 26 opposition parties, including the Congress.

The parties have come together to take on the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which is led by PM Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and prevent it from winning a third straight term at the Centre in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The first such meeting was convened in Bihar’s Patna on June 23 and the second meeting was held in Karnataka’s Bengaluru on July 17-18.

Punia, however further said that BJP leader Smriti Irani will be defeated from Amethi seat. “It is true that the people (of Amethi) will defeat Smriti Irani in 2024, and the candidate of Congress or INDIA alliance will surely win there...” said PL Punia.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was defeated in the 2019 general election by BJP's Smriti Irani, is likely to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. Amethi used to be a Congress stronghold in Uttar Pradesh, where Rahul Gandhi lost to Smriti Irani by a margin of around 55,000 votes in the 2019 elections.

Amethi, along with Rae Bareilli used to be well-known Congress strongholds.