PM face to be decided as per situation: Yechury after INDIA bloc meeting

Ahead of the exit polls, the opposition-led INDIA bloc today held a meeting at the residence of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in the national capital

Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said that the prime ministerial candidate of the INDIA bloc will be decided "as per the situation," while CPI General Secretary D Raja predicted that the results of the Lok Sabha elections are going to be "one-sided".

Ahead of the exit polls, the opposition-led Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc today held a meeting at the residence of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in the national capital.

"All the seats we have contested, we are contesting to win. And when you tell me how many, if I tell you a number, that is less than the number we are contesting, which means we lost the battle even before we entered into..."," Yechury told reporters here after attending the INDIA bloc meeting.

CPI General Secretary D Raja told ANI, "The decision is that we must be very alert during the counting process. We must alert our counting agents how they must be vigilant... On this issue, we are likely to meet with the election commission. Once the election commission gives the time tomorrow, our leaders will meet the EC... The election results are coming out, and they are going to be one-sided... We will win above 295 seats..."
 

On the prime ministerial candidate for the INDIA bloc, Yechury said, "The PM face will be decided when that situation comes. There is a saying in English: You cross the bridge when you reach it. First, reach the bridge. So let us not do long jumps before that".

The meeting was attended by Congress Parliamentary chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, KC Venugopal, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, NCP leader Jitendra Awhad, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, AAP leader Raghav Chadha, Sanjay Sing and many others.

A total of 28 opposition parties have formed a mammoth coalition under the name of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Coalition (INDIA) to face and defeat the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Voting started in the last 57 parliamentary constituencies at 7 am today across seven states and the Union Territory of Chandigarh.

Polling for the earlier six phases of Lok Sabha elections was held on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20 and May 25. The results of the polls will be declared on June 4.