'INDIA PM' in 3 days after results: Jairam

The Congress on Friday hit back at the BJP over its "five PMs in five years" remark against the INDIA bloc, saying the alliance which is set to get a "clear and decisive" mandate in the Lok Sabha polls will have one person as prime minister for five years.

The name of the prime minister will be announced by the INDIA bloc within three days after the result of the elections is declared on June 4, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh told a press conference here ahead of the sixth round of polling on Saturday. The elections are being held in seven phases and the last is on June 1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has in his poll rallies repeatedly targeted the bloc, claiming that it has plans to have five prime ministers in five years if voted to power.

The INDIA bloc is going to get a "clear and decisive mandate" on June 4 and, like in 2004, history will repeat itself after 20 years, Ramesh said. The BJP was ousted from power in the 2004 general polls despite its 'India Shining' campaign and the Congress-led UPA came to power.

"Those who repeatedly raise the question who will be PM (if the INDIA bloc comes to power), I want to remind that in 2004, after the Congress and its allies got the mandate, within three days Dr Manmohan Singh's name was announced for (the post of) PM," the Congress leader said.