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UPA to jointly decide on opposition bloc's face against BJP in 2024, says Baghel
Congress veteran Bhupesh Baghel's remark followed comments by Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee that there was ‘no UPA’ left in the country.
Chhattisgarh chief minister and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday said the prime ministerial face of the opposition bloc against the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) candidate would be decided collectively by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).
The statement by the veteran leader came a day after he took a jibe at West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee to say the existence of the UPA cannot be denied.
Baghel also attacked Banerjee, saying she must clarify whether she wants to make Trinamool Congress the main opposition party by fighting those in power or by taking on fellow opposition parties.
“The opposition fought under the banner of the UPA in spite of a change in the federal government in 2014, and the leaders should strengthen that formation in their fight against the BJP,” Bhupesh said at the concluding day of the 19th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit on Saturday.
During her visit to Mumbai days ago, Banerjee remarked that there was no UPA left in the country as she made a pitch for an united opposition front to take on the BJP at the Centre during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
“What is UPA? There is no UPA,” Banerjee was heard telling media persons shortly after her meeting with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on December 1.
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Slamming Banerjee for her comments, Baghel also demanded from her to reveal the conversations that she had with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their meeting in New Delhi ahead of Parliament's Winter Session.
Questioning the rationale behind attacking the Congress, Baghel also said that if Banerjee aims to become a “big leader”, she must sharpen her sword against the BJP-led government at the Centre.
Banerjee faced criticisms from several quarters for her comments. The chief of Congress' West Bengal unit, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, alleged that Banerjee was “Modi's informer” and she “wants to break and weaken” the Congress as well as the opposition parties.
