Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar stated on Monday that the opposition need not declare a prime ministerial candidate for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. This comes after suggestions made by Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during the INDIA bloc’s meeting on December 19 in New Delhi, proposing Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge as the alliance’s PM candidate.

Speaking in Pune, the 83-year-old Pawar drew parallels to history, noting that in 1977, the opposition fought without a PM face before the elections, and a new party was formed after the general elections, resulting in Morarji Desai becoming the PM.

Pawar emphasized that people will make their choices whether or not the opposition presents a PM candidate, particularly if they have already decided on a change. In Patna, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar clarified that he was neither angry nor disappointed regarding the suggestion of Kharge as the Prime Minister face. He dispelled speculation that he was upset over not being considered for the position, stating that he has no desire for any post in the INDIA bloc, and emphasized the need for unity among opposition parties. Nitish stressed the urgency of expediting seat-sharing arrangements among all INDIA bloc allies.