‘Oppn always has to be ready for elections in Parliamentary democracy’: Chidambaram amidst Lalu’s prediction of NDA fall

New Delhi [India], July 14 (ANI): Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP P. Chidambaram emphasised that in a parliamentary democracy, it is essential for an opposition party to always be prepared for elections.

This statement follows remarks by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Chief Lalu Yadav, who suggested that the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre, which came to power last month, could fall by August, leading to elections at any time.

In an exclusive interview with ANI on Sunday, P. Chidambaram stated, “An opposition party always has to be ready for elections in a parliamentary democracy. This is not a fixed term like that of the President of the US. Every day, you have to be accountable to Parliament, and you can be defeated at any time.”

When asked if the government would last for the next five years, he responded, “You should ask this question to two gentlemen in this country: Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar.”

N. Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United (JDU), both part of the NDA bloc, secured 16 and 12 seats, respectively, in Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, emerging as ‘kingmakers’.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) could not achieve the majority mandate mark in the Lok Sabha polls concluded last month.

P. Chidambaram also discussed the party’s stance on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which aims to confer Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, or Pakistan.

The Congress MP emphasised that the Congress and the INDIA bloc are opposed to the CAA.

“I do not know about Nitish Kumar. But Chandrababu Naidu, on record, has opposed the Citizenship Amendment Act. I hope he holds up his words. I cannot say anything now. The Congress party and the INDIA bloc are opposed to the CAA,” he said.

The CAA, introduced by the Narendra Modi government and passed by Parliament in 2019, led to mass movements across the country as the opposition accused the government of sidelining migrants belonging to the Muslim community.

However, the Union government argued that the CAA was enacted to provide ‘fast-track’ citizenship to persecuted minorities from the aforesaid countries.

The Rajya Sabha MP also highlighted Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s recent visit to the violence-hit northeastern state of Manipur and stressed that he is doing what the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) should do.

“Rahul Gandhi is doing what the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) should be doing. He is visiting different parts of the country, meeting affected people, listening to them, and raising their concerns in Parliament and elsewhere,” P. Chidambaram said.

Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said that the Prime Minister is ‘busy’ visiting foreign countries and attending weddings.

“As far as Prime Minister Modi is concerned, he is busy visiting Russia and Austria; he is visiting Mumbai for weddings. When he is not busy, I suppose he will visit Manipur.

I understand that the busy Prime Minister does not have the time to visit Manipur,” he remarked.

Earlier this month, Rahul Gandhi visited relief camps in Manipur, which has been witnessing ethnic violence since May 3 last year. He also urged the Prime Minister to visit Manipur and listen to the plight of the people, who have been displaced and have lost their families to violence.

Violence erupted in the northeastern state on May 3 last year following clashes during a rally organized by the All Tribal Students Union (ATSU) to protest against the demand for the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe category.