The Congress party has asserted that 4 to 5 political parties from the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) bloc are in communication with the INDIA alliance. According to Congress spokesperson Alok Sharma, some of these parties are expected to join the opposition bloc in the coming days, while others may do so before the 2024 elections. This claim was made during a press conference held in Nagpur.
Sharma mentioned that significant decisions will be made during the upcoming meeting of the INDIA alliance, scheduled to take place in Mumbai on September 1. The NDA meeting was held in Delhi last month.
Sharma emphasized the collective effort required to address the current situation in the country, stating that the focus should not solely be on leadership but on how the various parties can work together as a cohesive force to counter the perceived arrogance of the current government.
He further stated, “The year 2024 belongs to INDIA,” indicating the alliance’s aspirations for the upcoming general elections.
Sharma also posed questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding possible inquiries by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into recent reports of corruption in the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) findings and within sectors like the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), health, and insurance.
In response to a query about Rahul Gandhi’s potential candidacy from Amethi in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Sharma mentioned that the decision rests with Rahul Gandhi and his family. He acknowledged the preference of the people of Amethi for a candidate from the Gandhi family, but indicated that there is no official decision on this matter. In the 2019 general elections, BJP’s Smriti Irani defeated incumbent MP Rahul Gandhi in the Amethi constituency.
