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Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge Predicts BJP's Defeat in 2024 Lok Sabha Election
In an exclusive interview with NDTV, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge expressed confidence that the INDIA bloc, an alliance of opposition parties, will defeat the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha election.
Kharge argued that the BJP has reached a saturation point in terms of votes it might win, having won 282 and 303 seats on its own in the 2014 and 2019 polls respectively.
He also pointed to the BJP's failure to fulfil promises made over the previous two terms, highlighting issues like unemployment and the cost of living crisis.
The INDIA bloc, which includes the AAP, Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK, the Samajwadi Party, and Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena faction, has fielded common candidates in a majority of the seats in this election.
However, seat-sharing disagreements with some other parties have meant that the Congress has been forced into 'friendly contests', including against the Trinamool in Bengal and CPIM in Kerala.
Kharge insisted that the opposition is on the winning side and that the BJP is on the decline.
To defeat the BJP, the INDIA bloc will need to retain and build on its edge over the saffron party in the southern states, as well as slash the BJP's advantage in the Hindi heartland.
Kharge expressed confidence that the INDIA bloc will be successful in both of these tasks.
He said that he expects positive results from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, where the BJP dominated in the last election.
He also said that the Congress is aiming to win at least 30 seats in Maharashtra and 50 per cent of the seats in Karnataka.
On the question of a prime ministerial candidate, Kharge said that the alliance will decide.
He said that it is premature to talk about a PM face at this point, as the alliance has not yet been finalised.
Source: "INDIA Ahead After 5 Phases, BJP Facing Defeat": M Kharge To NDTV