The opposition bloc INDIA will iron out their differences and stick together because their motto is "anybody, but Modi", insisted former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and Congress state chief Kamal Nath today.
"The differences will be sorted out. The parties will talk and work on the issues ahead of the 2024 elections," said Kamal Nath on the newly-formed alliance of 26 opposition parties - some of these are powerful regional parties that are direct rivals to some of their own alliance partners in some states. He was speaking at the launch of NDTV's Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh channel.
'INDIA', which stands for Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, is hoping to block Prime Minister Narendra Modi from coming to power again in 2024.
Coming down heavily on the welfare schemes announced by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Kamal Nath said, "Actions should speak louder than words."
"He remembered sisters and farmers 18 years later. Why did they need to make these announcements five months ahead of the elections? He is trying to wash his sins of eighteen years," he added.
Kamal Nath, who served as the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry from 2004 to 2009, drew a parallel between the election guarantees of the Congress and welfare measures announced by the BJP government in the state.
"When we talked about relief to common people, we didn't have elections in our mind. We will be happy if Shivraj Chouhan announces gas cylinder at Rs 500. And I have heard he is going to make that announcement. After our announcements, he is thinking of cylinders and women," he said.
Advertisement"When we said we would give Rs 1500, he said he would give Rs 2,000. If they do it, it fulfils our goal as our goal is not votes, but people's welfare," he added.
Riding high on its Karnataka win, the Congress has announced "election guarantees" for Madhya Pradesh - similar to the ones it implemented in the southern state.
Advertisement"Congress' promise to the people of Madhya Pradesh. Gas cylinder: Rs 500; 1,500 per month to every woman; Electricity: 100 units waived, 200 units halved; farm loan waived; old pension scheme will be applicable. We kept our promise in Karnataka - now we will keep it in MP," the party had said in a tweet.
The BJP has been in power in the central state since 2003, except for a break between December 2018 and March 2020 when the state had a Congress government under Kamal Nath.
