Lok Sabha Elections 2024: P Chidambaram announces Congress’ big CAA update despite criticism from Pinarayi Vijayan.

P Chidambaram, while talking to the media, urged the public to support the INDIA bloc in Delhi. He stated that the intention of the Congress party is to revoke the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), even though it is not explicitly mentioned in the party’s manifesto. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the CPI(M) have been critical of the Congress for not addressing the CAA in their manifesto.

Mr Chidambaram clarified that the reason the CAA was not included in the manifesto was due to space constraints, as it became lengthy. He emphasized that the Congress is committed to repealing the CAA, not amending it, and assured that it will be repealed in the first session of Parliament under the INDIA Bloc’s governance. Dismissing claims that the Congress has not opposed the CAA, Mr Chidambaram pointed out that Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor has spoken against the CAA in Parliament.

When questioned about the potential impact of the Ayodhya Ram temple inauguration on the elections, he expressed his hope that it would not influence the outcome. He stressed that the temple’s construction should not play a role in politics or elections. Mr Chidambaram also criticized Mr Vijayan for his recent vocal opposition to the Congress and Rahul Gandhi and urged him to view the election as a national one.

He argued that the Congress is better positioned to combat the BJP across India compared to the CPI(M). He called on the public to vote for the INDIA bloc in Delhi. Kerala’s polling for the Lok Sabha election will take place on April 26, with nationwide results to be declared on June 4.