“Huge difference” between PM Modi and Congress president Kharge: Ajit Pawar on his alliance with BJP

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There is a "huge difference" between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and people will support Modi again in the coming 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said on Friday.

Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, the nationalist congress party leader also averred that he would not betray his alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

"There is a huge difference between Modi and Kharge. People of India will support Modi again and everyone should come together to back his leadership," Pawar told reporters.

Some parties in the INDIA alliance have proposed Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge as the Opposition alliance's candidate for prime minister.

Pawar, who split the Nationalist Congress Party in July this year to join the ruling Mahayuti (grand alliance), said he would not betray his new partners, but nor would he contest on the BJP's symbol in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. "I will not change the political stand I have taken. I am ready to give this assurance on a stamp paper," he said.

Pawar was speaking to reporters after a day-long meeting of office-bearers of his faction of Nationalist Congress Party.

The code of conduct for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections was expected to come into force in March next year and party workers should start preparations, he said.

Also read: INDIA alliance protests suspension of Opposition MPs, Kharge says democracy under threat

Meanwhile, Kharge on December 19 turned down suggestion about being the prime ministerial candidate of the INDIA alliance for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and said the issue will be decided later and their first priority is to try and get a majority by working together.

VCK parliamentarian Thol. Thirumavalavan told newswire agency ANI after a meeting of INDIA alliance parties that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal proposed that Kharge should be the coordinator of the INDIA bloc and that he should be projected as the Prime Ministerial candidate in the Lok Sabha battle.

Kharge responded to the issue during an interaction with the media after the INDIA block meeting.

"First, all of us have to win, we should think about what needs to be done for victory. Who will be PM, this will be decided later. If there are less MPs, what is the point of talking about PM. First, to increase our numbers, (by) coming together, we will try to bring majority. First we will try to win," he said. (With inputs from PTI)