Lok Sabha polls: If INDIA bloc wins, who will be PM, Shah asks in Bihar

The BJP, which is aiming for a third term in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, has been targeting the Opposition's INDIA bloc over fighting the polls in coalition without naming their PM candidate

Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed confidence on Thursday that the INDIA bloc of the Opposition would not emerge victorious in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. However, he raised questions about the coalition's choice for Prime Minister in the event of a different outcome.

"Even if INDIA bloc wins, which I am sure won't happen, who will be its PM candidate," the senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader posed the question during an election rally in Bihar's Madhubani.

Taking a dig at the Opposition, Shah further asserted that India needs a strong PM, "not one on yearly basis." The ruling BJP, which is aiming for a third consecutive term in the elections, has been targeting the Congress-led Opposition alliance of nearly two dozen non-BJP parties for not having named a PM candidate yet.

'Are Mamata, Lalu PM candidates?' Shah asks

"Are Mamata (Banerjee), Lalu (Prasad Yadav) and M.K Stalin INDIA bloc's PM candidates?" he questioned, referring to the three Opposition chief ministers.

INDIA bloc has maintained that the PM candidate will be decided and announced after the coalition wins the polls.

On his Bihar visit, Shah also targeted the BJP's main Opposition in the state, Lalu Yadav-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). "To make his son CM of Bihar, Lalu aligned with Congress that opposed reservations to OBCs, SCs, STs," Shah said at an earlier rally in Sitamarhi.

Lok Sabha elections in Bihar

The BJP is contesting the Lok Sabha polls in Bihar in a partnership with National Democratic Alliance (NDA) members Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United), Chirag Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and regional parties.

While the BJP will contest 17 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, the JD(U) will fight on 16 seats of the total 40 seats.

In the 2019 elections, the BJP-JDU-LJP coalition had won all but one seat in Bihar. The Congress had won the remaining one seat - the Kishanganj constituency.

The Lok Sabha elections commenced on April 19 and are underway in an extensive seven phase process. The final phase of the polls will be conducted on June 1 and the results will be out on June 4.