Rahul Gandhi of the Congress has claimed that this NDA government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, could “struggle” to survive in its third term, as the Bharatiya Janata Party failed to secure the simple majority of 272 seats in the Lok Sabha elections 2024.
In his first interview since the Lok Sabha poll results were declared, Rahul Gandhi told the Financial Times that the Indian political landscape has undergone a “tectonic shift” after the June 4 verdict.
“The space in the Indian political system has been blown open,” Financial Times quoted Rahul Gandhi as saying.
The Lok Sabha election results saw the opposition’s INDIA bloc perform significantly better than expected, securing 234 of 543 seats in the Lower House of Parliament compared to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance’s 293. The outcome has also brought Rahul Gandhi, who is widely anticipated to be named the new Opposition leader in Lok Sabha, back to the forefront of Indian politics.
“The numbers are such that they are very fragile, and the smallest disturbance can drop the government… Basically, one ally has to turn the other way,” Rahul Gandhi told FT.
“The idea that you can spread hatred, you can spread anger and you can reap benefits of that — the Indian people have rejected it in this election,” the former Congress said Gandhi, who won both Rae Bareli and Wayanad Lok Sabha seats.
“That’s also why the coalition will struggle,” Rahul Gandhi said, adding that “Because what worked for Mr Narendra Modi in 2014 and 2019 is not working.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi formed the government last week but, unlike his earlier two terms, had to depend on his allies – some of who are known to be fickle – to get past the halfway mark of 272 in the 543-member house.
Rahul Gandhi was among the key leaders in an opposition alliance of over two dozen parties that won more than 230 seats, trimming Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party’s share by over 60 seats.
On Monday, Rahul Gandhi said he will retain the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh and vacate his Wayanad seat in Kerala from where his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will make her electoral debut.
Ending speculation on the issue, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge announced the decision on the two seats after the party brass held discussions at his residence. Besides, Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi and party general secretaries KC Venugopal and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were present at the meeting.
If elected, this will be the first time Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will enter Parliament as an MP. This will also be the first time that the three Gandhi family members – Sonia Gandhi, Rahul and Priyanka – will be in Parliament together.
