Stories
CPI(M) Leader Calls Rahul Gandhi's 2029 PM Bid 'Premature, Unwarranted'
- •CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby stated that the INDIA bloc has not discussed a prime ministerial candidate for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
- •Baby described the Congress's projection of Rahul Gandhi as the alliance's pre-poll choice as "premature and unwarranted."
- •He emphasized that the immediate priority for INDIA bloc partners should be strengthening the alliance and maintaining unity to defeat the Modi government.
- •Baby highlighted that past Opposition alliances often decided on a prime minister only after elections, citing examples like 1977, Deve Gowda, I K Gujral, and Manmohan Singh.
- •He noted that while Congress can claim the PM post if INDIA wins, other allied parties could also make similar claims.
Key Questions Answered
MA Baby views the Congress's projection of Rahul Gandhi as the INDIA bloc's prime ministerial candidate for 2029 as "premature and unwarranted" because the alliance has not yet discussed or decided on a candidate. He emphasizes that the immediate priority is strengthening the alliance to defeat the Modi government, not selecting a PM candidate before the elections.
MA Baby cites the 1977 Janata Party-led national alliance, where the focus was on fielding joint candidates and the prime minister was chosen after the election. He also mentions subsequent alliances where decisions on leaders like Deve Gowda, I.K. Gujral, and Manmohan Singh were made post-election.
MA Baby acknowledges that Rahul Gandhi, as Leader of the Opposition, has the right to aspire to the prime minister's position. However, he maintains that the question of who becomes prime minister should be settled after the general election, and premature speculation serves little purpose.
