INDIA bloc fighting ideological election, decision on PM candidate after winning polls, says Rahul

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the INDIA bloc has decided that its prime ministerial face will be decided by the alliance constituents jointly after it wins the polls and exuded confidence that the NDA’s 2024 campaign will meet the same fate as that of ‘India Shining’ in 2004.

The former Congress chief said the Lok Sabha polls are between forces who are trying to “destroy” the Constitution and democracy in the country and those protecting them.

Speaking at the Congress manifesto launch programme, Gandhi said it is a much closer contest than what is propagated by the media, and expressed confidence of winning the polls.

Responding to a question after the release of the party manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls, he said, “This election is about those who want to destroy the Constitution and democracy in the country versus those who want to protect the Constitution and democracy.”

“We do believe that it is very important once this fight is won that we look after the interests of the vast majority of our people, that India is not run for two or three large conglomerates but is run for the vast majority of the people, that we are not a nation of monopolies, we are a nation where there is fair competition among businesses,” he said.

Asked about who will be the prime ministerial face, Gandhi said, “INDIA bloc has decided that we are together fighting an ideological election, after winning the election, who will be the leader, the

PM, the whole coalition will jointly decide.”

To a question on the outcome of the polls, Gandhi said unlike many political commentators he cannot predict the future but expressed confidence that this is a “much closer” election than what is being propagated by the media.