If Prime Minister Narendra Modi comes back to power in 2024, there will be no more elections in the future, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said Monday, addressing the “Odisha Bachao Samavesh” rally in state capital Bhubaneswar.
“There will be no elections. (He) won’t let elections happen. There will be dictatorship,” Kharge said, adding, “This is the last chance to vote. After this, there will be no voting. Then elections will happen, the way it happens for Russian President (Vladimir) Putin. Iske baad no chunav.”
Taking a jibe at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who walked out of the INDIA bloc to return to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Sunday, Kharge said the BJP had hijacked an Opposition leader. “You saw they took one of our leaders from the INDIA alliance yesterday. (They keep) giving notices to everyone, threatening people… ‘if you don’t leave his friendship, we will see you’. Because of fear, some are leaving their parties, some leaving the alliance,” Kharge said.
He asked, “If there are such cowards, will the country survive? Will the Constitution survive? Will democracy survive?”
Speaking about Nitish Kumar’s exit, Kharge said if one or two people go, the alliance would not weaken. “We will overcome this. We will work together and defeat the BJP and (Naveen) Patnaik,” he said of the Odisha chief minister’s tacit support of the BJP.
Monday was Kharge’s maiden visit to Odisha after becoming the Congress president. Congress has been reduced to the number three party in the state, after ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the BJP.
Kharge alleged that BJP and BJD were in a “love marriage” despite no official alliance. He added, “They (BJP and BJD) will destroy Odisha together.”
Attacking the incumbent chief minister, the Congress president said, “The older Patnaik (Naveen’s father and former Congress leader Biju Patnaik) used to believe in Nehru ji‘s ideology. But the current Patnaik believes in BJP’s ideology.”
Comparing Naveen with his father, Kharge said, “All the work happened during Congress’ time and that Patnaik supported it. What has Modi and BJD done together?”
Kharge also lashed out at Naveen’s close aide V.K. Pandian, who recently resigned from the administrative services and joined the BJD.
“You are running the government through an officer? Are politicians here finished? Odisha’s officers and leaders can lead the country. Why do you need an outsider,” he asked.
Assembly elections in Odisha and the Lok Sabha polls are held concurrently.
Also read: Kharge to be ‘INDIA chairperson’, Nitish ‘withdraws’ from convener race citing ‘lack of consensus’