The race has begun on who will be chosen as the I.N.D.I.A. bloc’s joint Prime Ministerial candidate. The JD(U) has repeated its demand to project Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as the PM face of the INDIA bloc against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Nitish has come out as the new champion of social justice causes as he had taken the courage to hold a caste survey and set the basis of it, to increase the quota cap from 50% to 65%.It also help Nitish pit caste identities to counter the BJP’s election planks of religion and ultra-nationalism, a campaign for special category status will channelise state-related identity and emotions. Since then, more than 100 JD(U) office-bearers from different parts of Uttar Pradesh met the Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar in Patna in separate groups to apprise him about the current political scenario in Uttar Pradesh and urged him to contest from Phulpur or Mirzapur. JD(U) workers also raised slogans like “Deshka PM kaisa ho, Nitish Kumar jaisa ho.” On the other hand, the Trinamool Congress had put forth its supremo Mamata Banerjee’s claim to lead the INDIA bloc, saying a person who had defeated the BJP multiple times and had long administrative experience should be picked. While Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on December 6 invoked the name of Uddhav Thackeray for the INDIA alliance’s prime ministerial candidate for the 2024 general elections, saying that Thackeray is a “nationalist face”.
CONGRESS HIGH COMMAND LOOKS TO REPLACING HEARTLAND OLD GUARD
After the defeat in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan assembly elections, the Congress high command is looking forward for a replacement in the leadership matrix, lock, stock, and barrel, in the Hindi heartland. In place of the tired and jaded faces – the Kamal Naths, the Digvijay Singhs, the Ashok Gehlots, the Bhupesh Baghels – to pass over the party’s reins to younger and promising leaders. Moreover, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has expressed his deep disappointment over the party’s dismal performance in the Madhya Pradesh elections to Kamal Nath and also signalled that a large section of party leaders want him to step down as the chief of the MP unit after the poor results. Kamal Nath met Kharge in Delhi and amid speculation that he will step down as the president of the Congress’s MP unit and the party will appoint a new state president. The names that have been doing rounds in the Congress is of Jitu Patwari, Jaivardhan Singh, and Ajay Singh, aka Rahul Bhaiya for the post of the PCC chief. However, Congress vote share in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh is nothing to snigger at. And that is all the more reason for the Congress leadership to identify how to play the game differently if it at all hopes to defeat the BJP in 2024.
BJP HIGH COMMAND TO OPT FOR CHIEF MINISTERS WHO WILL ELIVER IN LOK SABHA POLLS
BJP is all set to appoint new faces as Chief Ministers in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, where assembly polls were recently held. In Rajasthan, speculations have been around that the party’s high command may select Baba Balak Nath as the next CM of the state. Other potential CM candidates include Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Diya Kumari. In Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan is expected to be the prime face for the CM of the state. To his credit, his welfare schemes in MP which have helped the party maintain its dominance in the state. Other names on the list of possible CM candidates are Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, BJP National General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, and even Jyotiraditya Scindia. In Chhattisgarh, Renuka Singh Saruta has been the frontrunner in the CM race. BJP leaders Arun Sao and Vishnu DeoSai are also likely to be given a chance to become the next CM of Chhattisgarh.
TELANGANA VERDICT CONFIRMS PRIYANKA’S STAR CAMPAIGNER APPEAL
In the five state assembly elections, the Congress witnessed the emergence of Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra as a star campaigner, who received the party leaders’ admiration as the most powerful and efficient communicator. Buoyed by the confidence gained after successfully leading Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh to victories, Priyanka Gandhi got it right in India’s newest state, Telangana, as well. She emerged as a prominent figurehead in Congress’ fight in Telangana where K Chandrashekhar Rao’s Bharat Rashtra Samithi had a comparatively stronger foothold until six months back. It was her result-yielding leadership in Karnataka that made the Telugu people to instill their confidence in her familiarity. Priyanka scathing attacks on the rival parties well related and resonated with the people of the state. From discarding KCR’s claims of ‘Bangaru Telangana’ to raising the issues of ‘land, sand, wine and mine mafias’, Priyanka communicated the narrative in Telangana that became a new state when the United Progressive Alliance was in the centre in 2014. Result showed Priyanka’s appeal massively stuck with locals when they voted on November 30. Now Priyanka will play a vital role in the coming Lok Sabha polls in 2024.
DK SHIVAKUMAR’S HARD WORK IN TELANGANA POLL CAMPAIGN PAYS OFF
With series of victories in assembly polls in Karnataka and Telangana, Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, who made remarkable contribution in his unique way to the party’s victory in both states, may have led to make his case prominent for the top post in Karnataka in the future. From campaign rallies to keeping Congress MLAs out of poachers’ reach after the poll results in Telangana, Shivakumar carried the specific role as that of troubleshooter with ease. Although Shivakumar has remarkably attributed to the victory besides collective leadership, those involved in the Telangana campaign said his micro-management and election strategy had undoubtedly helped the party to emerge victorious. This has once again emphasized that Shivakumar has always been successful in accomplishing any task entrusted to him by the party high command. The grapevine is that DK Shivkumar is likely to attain new assignment in the party before the Lok Sabha Polls. (IPA Service)
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