'In a fool's paradise,' BJP's Annamalai's jab on Kharge's 'Modi govt by mistake' jibe

In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the BJP secured 240 seats, falling short of the 272 needed for a majority, and had to rely on its allies to establish the government.

"NDA government has been formed by mistake. Modi ji doesn't have the mandate. It's a minority government. This government can fall anytime. We would like it to continue. Let it be good for the country. We should work together to strengthen the country. But our Prime Minister is habitual of not letting something go on well to continue. But we will cooperate towards strengthening the country...," Mallikarjun Kharge was quoted as saying by the media.

His remarks elicited a sharp retort from Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai who said Kharge is living in a "fool's paradise."

"After witnessing the democratic spirit in the swearing in ceremony, if Kharge thinks that the government might fall, then I think he is living in a fool's paradise," Annamalai said, reported India Today.

Kharge's criticism of PM Modi and the coalition government drew swift responses from his political rivals in Bihar as well.

JDU, which is part of the coalition, pointedly reminded Kharge of the history of past Congress-led coalitions.

Former Bihar IPRD minister and JDU MLC Neeraj Kumar questioned Kharge's understanding and challenged him to recall how the Congress-led governments under PV Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh survived, the report said.

Kumar pointed out that in 1991, the Congress, which had bagged the same number of seats as won by BJP in 2024, formed a minority government under the leadership of Narasimha Rao.

He highlighted how Rao skillfully managed to turn the minority Congress government into a majority within two years by engineering splits in smaller parties.

Kumar then rhetorically asked if Kharge was unaware of Congress's historical tactics. "Congress is now stuck in ‘99 ka Fer,’" he quipped, according to the report.