‘Kharge? I don’t even know his name': JD(U) MLA Disparages Cong Chief

New Delhi: A political storm unfolded on Monday as Gopal Mandal, a sitting legislator from Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United), openly endorsed Nitish Kumar for the position of the next Prime Minister. Mandal, who represents Bhagalpur's Gopalpur assembly constituency, dismissed Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, stating, "Kharge?...I don't even know his name."

No one except Nitish Kumar of being the PM of India: JD(U) 

Pitching for Nitish Kumar's candidacy, Mandal highlighted Kumar's nationwide efforts in forming the 'INDIA' alliance. He asserted, "No one is capable of becoming the PM other than Nitish Kumar." The JD(U) legislator questioned Congress's electoral prospects in Bihar, asserting that even if 40 seats were allocated to Congress, they would fail to secure a victory in Bhagalpur.

This is not the first instance of Mandal expressing his dismissive views towards Kharge. In the past, he referred to the Congress president as "Kharge-Farge," claiming that the public would not accept him.

Brewing unease within JD(U)? 

Reports suggest a brewing unease within the JD(U) following West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's proposal of Kharge as the leader of the 'INDIA' bloc. While Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray supported the proposal, Nitish Kumar indicated no objections to Kharge's name being considered for the opposition bloc's prime ministerial candidate.

Kharge, responding to speculations, stated that the decision on the convenor of the 'INDIA' bloc would be made in the next 10-15 days during a meeting. Nitish Kumar, who assumed the JD(U) presidency recently, has been termed the "ideological convener and ideological prime minister of INDIA" by senior JD(U) leader KC Tyagi.

The public endorsement for Nitish Kumar as the potential Prime Minister further intensifies the ongoing political dynamics within the opposition bloc, setting the stage for intricate negotiations and discussions in the days to come.