INDIA bloc, Cong don't accept Rahul as leader; how can country do so: Shivraj Chouhan

New Delhi, Sep 30 (IANS) Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday asserted that no one in the INDIA bloc, or in the Congress party, is willing to accept Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi as their leader, and hence many of the parties and leaders have "refused to attend" the Opposition alliance's meeting.

These remarks come amid the INDIA bloc's meeting in New Delhi's Constitution Club, where opposition parties are discussing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and their concerns over the functioning of the Election Commission.

The agenda was finalised following discussions among opposition parties and is expected to include the SIR exercise and the Election Commission of India.

Speaking to IANS, Chouhan said, "The INDI alliance fell apart even before the meeting began. DMK is not attending the meeting. Akhilesh Yadav is busy somewhere else. AAP had already refused beforehand. Uddhav Thackeray will not join physically, but virtually. Why is this happening?" 

"It is because the INDI alliance is simply not ready to accept Rahul Gandhi as their leader. They do not accept Rahul Gandhi's leadership, which is why they are not attending," he added. 

The Union Minister also claimed that several leaders in the Congress party itself are not willing to accept Rahul as their leader.

"Not just the INDIA bloc, but even the Congress leaders are not willing to accept Rahul Gandhi as their leader. Rahul Gandhi asks Congress leaders at the CWC meet to call him their leader. When Congress leaders themselves are not willing to accept Rahul Gandhi as their leader, how will the country accept him?" Chouhan questioned. 

"A clean voter list is the soul of democracy. If wrong names are added to the voter list, then what is wrong with it? Why is there a problem in removing the names of people who are no longer alive or adding names of those who are not citizens? The voter list must be clean," he added.

The Congress Working Committee has also passed a resolution demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The INDIA bloc is expected to discuss a coordinated political response to these issues.

The INDIA bloc's meeting assumes significance amid differences among alliance constituents over strategy and participation, with opposition parties seeking to work out a common approach on electoral-roll revisions and related concerns.

 --IANS

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