Congress presidential poll candidate Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday avoided a direct reply when asked who among him and Rahul Gandhi would be the party's prime ministerial candidate for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Speaking to reporters in Bhopal, Kharge quoted a proverb to say, "Bakrid mein bachenge toh Muharram mein nachenge (If you survive one festival, then you will dance on another event)."


"I am here for organisational elections. We will see all these things later," ANI quoted the Rajya Sabha MP as saying.


Kharge's remarks were condemned by the BJP, which said the senior Congress leader's comment was "highly insulting" to Muslims as Muharram was not a celebration but a mourning.



"Congress' first family chosen proxy president nominee was asked who will be the PM candidate of Congress in 2024. He said 'Bakri Eid mein bachenge toh Muharram mein nachenge'. Firstly Muharram is not a celebration but a mourning! This is highly insulting to Muslims," BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said in a video statement.


"More importantly is the importance of this politically loaded statement for Rahul Gandhi and the truth that Kharge himself has disclosed about the position of the Congress party which is getting extinct state after state," he further said.


Kharge has been pitted against party MP Shashi Tharoor for the Congress presidential poll on October 17. The results will be announced on October 19.


Kharge is seen to have the backing of the Gandhis even though they have conveyed that they would remain neutral in the polls.


However, Kharge said he was "forced" by Congress workers to enter the fray as no one from the Gandhi family came forward to contest the election.


Kharge said he believed in collective leadership and if he was elected Congress president, he would consult Sonia Gandhi as well as Rahul Gandhi on organisational matters.


Kharge said fighting the BJP was the most important challenge for the Congress and said he was contesting the election for the top party post to save the Constitution and democracy in the country.


"The major challenge before the party is the current BJP government that is destroying the Constitution, weakening autonomous institutions and misusing them," PTI quoted the Dalit leader as saying.


(With inputs from agencies)