Chennai, June 23 : “No decision was taken on the Prime Ministerial
candidate for the 2024 Lok Sabha at the first meeting of Opposition parties
held at Patna”, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M.K.Stalin
said on Friday evening.
Talking to reporters at the airport on his arrival after attending
the meeting, he said no decision was taken on fielding a common
PM candidate, while expressing satisfaction over the outcome of
the meeting, in which leaders of 17 National parties, opposed to
the BJP and to defeat it in the next year’s polls, took part.
Replying to question on the PM candidate, Mr Stalin said “no
decision was taken.
“The keenness expressed by you (media) showed that you are
eagerly expecting as to who will be the Prime Ministerial candidate
(in the polls)”, he added.
Leaders, who participated in the meeting dwelled at length on the
need for unity among all secular and democratic forces to defeat
the BJP in the LS polls, he said.
While deciding to consolidate all the democratic forces to defeat
the BJP in the LS polls, Mr Stalin said all the parties which took
part in the meeting were very clear that the BJP should not be
allowed to win again.
The Chief Minister said at the meeting he had stressed on seven
points which included that all the parties should remain firm on their
goal to defeat the BJP and that unity among the secular parties at
the National level was important which led to the victory in Tamil Nadu.
Mr Stalin said among the suggestions made by him included forming
an alliance headed by a party that has majority and wields considerable
influence in the State or could decide on seat sharing agreement alone
if such an alliance could not be formed.
“Even if this is not possible, a common candidate can be announced”,
the Chief Minister said, said having a post-poll alliance would not be
the right strategy and that a common minimum programme among the
political parties could be arrived at.
Stating that the singular goal of all the parties, who took part in the meeting,
was to defeat the BJP, Mr Stalin said “we thought to have unity among all
parties in this regard and that unity has been established at Patna meeting”.
Noting that Unity is the basis for the victory, he said there is no doubt that
the BJP will be defeated at the National level.
“It’s in an infancy stage…it will take some time to take shape”, he said,
adding “we met at Patna, returned happily”.