'Don't Know Kharge-Pharge': Livid JD-U MLA Says Nitish Kumar Should Be I.N.D.I.A's PM Face

Mandal, a JD(U) MLA from Gopalpur Assembly, stated that his party's president, Nitish Kumar, was instrumental in bringing the INDIA bloc together.

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. ( Image Source :PTI )

JD(U) MLA Gopal Mandal stated on Friday that the people does not recognise Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar should be the INDIA bloc's Prime Minister choice. “Public does not who ‘Kharge Pharge’ is. Even I don’t know he was the president of Congress. Nobody knows him. Masses don’t know him. The public knows Nitish Kumar. Nitish Kumar should become Prime Minister. He is popular all over India,” JDU MLA Gopal Mandal was quoted by ANI in its report. 

#WATCH | Bhagalpur, Bihar: JDU MLA Gopal Mandal says, "People will not acknowledge, they don't know who's Mallikarjun Kharge. Now that you've mentioned his name, I got to know it. I didn't even know that he is the national president of Congress...Nobody knows him. Common people… pic.twitter.com/Ph4GY9Adre

— ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2023

Mandal, a JD(U) MLA from Gopalpur Assembly, stated that his party's president, Nitish Kumar, was instrumental in bringing the INDIA bloc together.

“Everything was done by Nitish Kumar. Nitish Kumar played the role of convenor when the alliance was named INDIA. He gathered all the regional leaders and helped in bringing them together for meetings again and again. They should choose Nitish Kumar as the Prime Minister’s face,” he said.

#WATCH | Bhagalpur, Bihar: JDU MLA Gopal Mandal says, "Everything was done by Nitish Kumar. Nitish Kumar played the role of convenor when the alliance was named INDIA. He gathered all the regional leaders and helped in bringing them together for meetings again and again...They… pic.twitter.com/YEZvak9Qa5

— ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2023

JDU MLAs also attacked Congress, claiming that it is a party that the public cannot trust.

“Congress party is not worth trusting. It was Congress under which people faced the brunt of inflation and rising prices. BJP came into power only due to their poor policies. Now BJP has taken inflation to another level. So why to pick faces of the past, pick new faces,” Mandal said.

Who Will Be PM's Face?: I.N.D.I.A's Fourth Meeting

Earlier, in the fourth meeting of the INDIA alliance, which was held in the national capital, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's name was put forward as the prime ministerial candidate for the INDIA bloc by Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal in the recently held meeting in the national, where all 28 partners converged to chalk out plans for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Meanwhile, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has dismissed suggestions that he be the INDIA bloc's prime ministerial nominee in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, saying that the topic would be resolved later and that their objective is to get a majority.

Speaking with media after the meeting, Kharge stated: “First, all of us have to win, we should think about what needs to be done for victory. Who will be PM, this will be decided later. If there are fewer MPs, what is the point of talking about the PM? First, to increase our numbers, (by) coming together, we will try to bring the majority. First, we will have to win."

In addition, Congress leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir denied media reports that the Bihar Chief Minister was upset that Kharge's name had been recommended for Prime Minister.

“The meeting went on for five to six hours. The meeting was crucial and effective. It was concluded on a good note. If some media reports are claiming that Nitish Kumarji was unhappy over the meeting, there might be some ‘vested interest’ but I reckon that he is the convener of the alliance and he will make it reach its destination,” he said.

The fourth meeting of the 'Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc was held in the national capital on Tuesday, with representatives from 28 alliance members in attendance.

INDIA, also known as the 'Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance,' is a coalition of opposition parties that includes the Congress. The parties have banded together to defeat the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and prevent it from securing a third consecutive term at the Centre.