Lok Sabha Elections 2024: "Candidate of the biggest party will be PM," says Jairam Ramesh, expresses confidence in clear majority

Jairam Ramesh. Pic/PTI

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh claimed in an interview with ANI that "the candidate of the biggest party will be the PM" as happened in 2004 and the name would be announced soon after the results.

He also talked of the party's demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the "Modani scam", adding that a INDIA bloc government will form the committee within a month.

Expressing confidence of the INDIA bloc winning the Lok Sabha polls, he said INDIA Alliance will get "a clear and decisive" mandate in the Lok Sabha polls.

Asked if party leader Rahul Gandhi is the Prime Ministerial face, Jairam Ramesh, who is party general secretary incharge of communications, said, "It is not a beauty contest between persons. We are a party-based democracy. The question is which party or alliance will get the mandate..individuals are not that important. Parties get the majority. Party choose their leader and that leader becomes the PM. In 2004, Manmohan Singh's name was declared within four days of Congress and its allies getting majority. This time it won't even take 4 days. The PM's name will be announced within two days...," he said.

Jairam further said that the MPs will choose no shortcuts in deciding the PM of the country, it will be through a decisive mandate and the name will be announced within hours rather than even two days. He made a parallel to the Lok Sabha Elections of 2004, stating that the candidate of the biggest party will be the PM.

Rahul Gandhi is contesting Lok Sabha polls from two constituencies - Wayanad and Raebareli.

Jairam Ramesh said polling has been completed on 428 seats in five phases of Lok Sabha polls and 115 seats are remaining. He took a jibe at the BJP and claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "nervous" about BJP's prospects.

"But it was clear in the first two phases, 'South mein BJP Saaf, Uttar, Pashchim aur Uttar Bharat mein BJP half'... The INDIA Alliance will get a clear majority on June 4... It is clear from the speeches and body language of the PM that he is nervous... Today also, the 'Modani' scam has been exposed. We will form a JPC within a month... The Prime Minister of the INDIA Alliance will be appointed within a day or two (after the results). After that, we will form a JPC. The PM has said himself that Ambani and Adani send money in tempos. From where did the black money come even after you did demonetisation in 2016?... One industrialist who has benefitted in the last 10 years, is Gautam Adani," he said.

Jairam Ramesh said that the results will be a repeat of 2004 Lok Sabha polls when ruling BJP-led NDA's 'India Shinning' campaign flopped.

He also attacked the Modi government over the Agniveer scheme.

"The mandate of 2004 will be repeated in 2024. The BJP cannot even campaign in the remaining 115 seats. They cannot go to Haryana and Punjab because the farmers are angry. The PM did not fulfil the promises made to farmers' organisations. Seven hundred farmers died during the farmers' agitation and the PM did not even pay any tribute... The farmers have not forgotten this," he said.

"Former Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij accepted that tear gas was released with the help of drones. Aginiveer is an issue in Himachal Pradesh... We will get a clear and decisive mandate. The people have understood that our Constitution is in danger. The government's policies are against reservation," Jairam Ramesh added.

The 2024 Lok Sabha elections are being held in seven phases from April 19 to June 1. The counting and results will be declared on June 4.

(With inputs from ANI)