Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar on Monday said the party that got the most seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections could claim the post of prime minister, reported NDTV. Pawar added that he was happy with Congress President Rahul Gandhi for saying he was not in the race for the post.
“Let elections take place, remove these people [Bharatiya Janata Party] from power,” Pawar said. “We will sit together. Whichever party has got more seats can claim the prime minister’s post,” he said while addressing party leaders in Mumbai. “I am happy that the Congress leader [Rahul Gandhi] has also said he is not in the race for the prime minister’s post.”
On Saturday, during a visit to London, Gandhi said he had no ambition of becoming the prime minister . “I don’t have these visions [of seeing myself as prime minister],” he had said. “I view myself as fighting an ideological battle and this change has come in me after 2014.”
Pawar also called for anti-BJP parties to forge alliances at in the states and favoured picking a prime ministerial candidate after the election results, like in the 1977 and 2004 General Elections, PTI reported. He also raised concerns over the alleged instances of tampering of electronic voting machines and asked the Election Commission to revert to using ballot papers.
“Congress is strong in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan,” said the veteran leader. “In Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati-Akhilesh are there. Situation is different in each state. Hence, we will have to get along with parties which are strong in each state.”
Pawar said Congress leaders Ashok Gehlot and Ashok Chavan and Nationalist Congress Party leaders Praful Patel and Jayant Patil will be discussing seat sharing between the two parties in a week or two. Pawar said he would “try to go to each state and make regional parties which are not with the BJP” to join the Opposition alliance.
On the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena joining the anti-BJP alliance, Pawar said the matter has not been discussed yet.
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