'No vacancy for PM': Union Minister on Amartya Sen's Mamata in 2024 remark

Amartya Sen was talking about the Lok Sabha elections in 2024 when he made the comment.

Published on: Jan 15, 2023, 15:29:14 IST

By HT News Desk | Edited by Swati Bhasin, New Delhi

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As political parties warm up for the 2024 national elections, sharp reactions have already started pouring in with observations being made about the potential of top leaders. A day after Nobel laureate Amartya Sen hinted that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee could be a potential candidate for Prime Minister's post in the next Lok Sabha elections, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has shot back over the remark.

(File) Chief minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee. (Photo by Samir Jana/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times) (HT_PRINT)

Speaking to news agency PTI, the 90-year-old economist was quoted as saying that "it would be a mistake to take the dismissive view that there is no other party that can take the place of BJP since it has established itself as a party with a vision that is inclined in the direction of Hindus over the rest of the country". "I think a number of regional parties are clearly important. I think the DMK is an important party, the TMC (Trinamool Congress) is certainly important and the Samajwadi Party has some standing but whether that could be extended I do not know," he further asserted.

On Mamata Banerjee, he highlighted: "It's not that she does not have the ability to do it. She clearly has the ability. On the other hand, it's yet not established that Mamata can pull the forces of public dismay against the BJP in an integrated way to make it possible for her to have the leadership to put an end to the fractionalisation in India."

Amartya Sen's comments come at a time when several opposition parties have been attempting to put up a united front ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. In the coming months, nine states are due to hold assembly elections, which will, as per experts, reflect the voters' sentiments.

But Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan dismissed the comments on Mamata Banerjee. "There is no vacancy for Prime Minister in India. For the last two terms, people of India have kept faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In 2024 also, under PM Modi’s leadership, the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) will return to power." he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI on Sunday.

In his interview, Amartya Sen had also underlined that "if the BJP looks strong and powerful, it has a good deal of weakness too".

(With inputs from PTI, ANI)

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