October 8 Assembly Poll Results will mark ‘Countdown’ to PM Modi’s ‘Exit’: Jairam

NEW DELHI, Sept 30: Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday (September 30, 2024) exuded confidence that his party will form governments in Haryana, and  Jammu and Kashmir, while claiming that the Assembly elections' verdict on October 8 would mark the “countdown” to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's “exit” from the Centre.

He accused the BJP of injecting “Vitamin-P for polarisation” in the Assembly polls campaign for Haryana, and Jammu and Kashmir, and said the people would give it a “thumbs down” as they had done so in the Lok Sabha polls.

“June 4, 2024 (Lok Sabha poll results) was the first signal that the time for the non-biological PM is getting over and I think October 8 will be the second signal, and sometime in November the third signal would come when the elections are held for Maharashtra and Jharkhand,” he said.

“As far as Haryana, and J&K are concerned, I think it is very clear that the Congress is going to get a very clear and decisive mandate in Haryana, and in J&K, where it is in alliance with the National Conference. This is the countdown to the exit of the non-biological PM,” Mr. Ramesh said.

Asked about the BJP's recent “PoK will be part of Jammu and Kashmir” pitch and Pakistan finding mention in the election campaign, the Congress general secretary said this was nothing new and was part of the BJP's “communal propaganda”.

The BJP does not realise that the words that they use at the time for campaigns in domestic elections have tremendous foreign policy implications, he said.

Asked about the impact of the October 8 assembly poll results, Ramesh said it is going to make the position of the prime minister “more shaky”.

 “I think it is going to be a big dhakka (setback), June 4 was a ‘dhakka' (setback), October 8 is going to be a ‘dhakka', end of November will be a ‘dhakka'. These are all exit signs for the PM,” Ramesh said

Asked if he thinks the BJP-led NDA government would not last its full term, Ramesh said the prime minister cannot function with the politics of consensus, cooperation and compromise.

Elections in  Jammu and Kashmir are being held in three phases. Voting for 24 seats was held in the first phase on September 18. The next phase of polling for 26 seats was held on September 25.

The polling for the Haryana Assembly polls is to be held on October 5. The counting of votes will take place along with Jammu and Kashmir on October 8.