Mamata Banerjee proposes Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge as prime ministerial face of INDIA bloc

“Mallikarjun Kharge can be India’s first Dalit Prime Minister,” West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was quoted by a senior Opposition leader as saying at the fourth meeting of INDIA bloc.

Amid suggestions that the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) partners should finalise seat-sharing arrangements by December 31, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday proposed the name of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as the prime ministerial face of the alliance.

“He can be India’s first Dalit Prime Minister,” Ms. Banerjee was quoted as saying at the fourth meeting of the bloc by a senior Opposition leader.

When Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Admi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal endorsed the name of the Congress chief as the PM candidate, Mr. Kharge intervened to assert that he had never used his Dalit identity.

At a press conference to convey the decisions of the INDIA bloc, Mr. Kharge said the decision on prime ministerial candidate would be taken after the election. “First we have to win and get a majority, then MPs will decide democratically,” Mr. Kharge told reporters when asked if he could be Opposition’s PM face.

Sources told The Hindu that Ms. Banerjee also suggested the name of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to contest from Varanasi against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, there was no decision on any of these proposals.

The fourth meeting of the INDIA bloc in Delhi, which was attended by 28 parties and went on for over two hours, however, agreed to hold joint protests on December 22 against the mass suspension of Opposition MPs during the Winter session of Parliament.

The INDIA bloc also adopted a resolution that expressed doubts about the electronic voting machines (EVMs) and suggested that voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) slips should be handed over to the voters.