NEW DELHI — Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge has stirred controversy by asserting that the current NDA government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was formed under erroneous circumstances and lacks the people’s mandate.
Addressing reporters in Bengaluru today, Kharge expressed skepticism about the stability of the government, suggesting it could collapse at any moment, Vartha Bharati reported.
Kharge emphasized, “NDA government has been formed by mistake. Modi ji doesn’t have the mandate. It’s a minority government. This government can fall anytime.” His comments come amidst recent speculations regarding the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) challenges in maintaining its coalition alliances.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the NDA coalition secured 293 seats out of the 543-member house, with BJP alone obtaining 240 seats, significantly lower than the 272 required for a clear majority. The coalition’s formation relied on support from allies including N Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP, Nitish Kumar’s JDU, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, and Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas.
Responding to Kharge’s critique, leaders from the NDA dismissed his remarks, with leaders from Janata Dal (United) pointing out historical parallels where the Congress had similarly formed minority governments and maneuvered political alliances to secure stability.