INDIA bloc meeting: A day after the results for the Lok Sabha election were declared, the I.N.D.I.A bloc leaders convened a meeting at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in New Delhi to discuss the further strategy. More than 30 leaders, including Congress Parliamentary Parrty chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, attended the meeting. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav arrived at the residence of Kharge along with his uncle Ram Gopal Yadav ahead of the meeting to discuss a strategy to form the central government.
In his opening remarks during the meeting, Congress chief Kharge welcomed and congratulated members of I.N.D.I.A bloc for contesting the Lok Sabha election unitedly and resolutely. He also went on to say tha the outcome of the 18th Lok Sabha elections reflects a significant shift in public sentiment against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Kharge pointed out that the election campaign was heavily centered around PM Modi's leadership, with his name and image prominently featured. Despite this, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) failed to secure a majority, which Kharge interpreted as a clear message from the electorate rejecting Narendra Modi's leadership.
"For Modiji personally, this is not only a political defeat but also a moral defeat. But we are all aware of their (BJP) habits... They will make every possible effort to negate this public opinion. The INDIA Alliance welcomes all parties which shares its fundamental commitment to the values enshrined in the Preamble to our Constitution and to its many provisions for economic, social and political justice," Kharge added.
Leaders who attended meeting
- Mallikarjun Kharge (INC)
- Sonia Gandhi (INC)
- Rahul Gandhi (INC)
- KC Venugopal (INC)
- Sharad Pawar (NCP)
- Supriya Sule (NCP)
- MK Stalin (DMK)
- TR Balu (DMK)
- Akhilesh Yadav (SP)
- Ramgopal Yadav (SP)
- Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (INC)
- Abhishek Banerjee (AITC)
- Arvind Sawant (Shiv Sena-UBT)
- Tejashwi Yadav (RJD)
- Sanjay Yadav (RJD)
- Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M)
- Sanjay Raut (Shive Sena-UBT)
- D Raja (CPI)
- Champai Soren (JMM)
- Kalpana Soren (JMM)
- Sanjay Singh (AAP)
- Raghav Chadha (AAP)
- Dipankar Bhattacharya (CPI-ML)
- Omar Abdullah (JKNC)
- Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal (IUML)
- PK Kunhalikutty (IUML)
- Jose K Mani (KC-M)
- Thiru Thol. Thirumavalavan (VCK)
- NK Premachandran (RSP)
- Dr MH Jawahirullah (MMK)
- G. Devarajan (AIFB)
- Thiru ER Eswaran (KMDK)
- D Ravikumar (VCK)
'Will continue to fight against fascist rule of BJP': Kharge
Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Kharge said that the constituents of the I.N.D.I.A bloc thank the people of India for the overwhelming support received by its alliance. He said the people's mandate has given a befitting reply to the BJP and their politics of hate and corruption. This is a mandate in defence of the Constitution of India and against price rise, unemployment and crony capitalism and also to save democracy, he added.
"The mandage is against Modi ji. The I.N.D.I.A bloc will continue to fight against the fascist rule of the BJP led by Modi. We will take appropriate steps at the appropriate time to realise the people's desire not to be ruled by BJP's government. This is our decision and we altogether agreed on these points and we will keep up with the promises we have made to the people," Kharge remarked.
NDA Vs INDIA: The numbar game
It should be mentioned here that the BJP won 240 seats and the Congress emerged as the second largest party with 99 seats. The NDA has the majority number with 293 seats and is holding a parallel meeting on government formation. Meanwhile, the Opposition alliance has 234 seats. While the BJP on its own fell short of a majority, it may, as things stand, form the government on the back of its allies. With support from Naidu's TDP and Nitish Kumar's JD(U), which won 16 and 12 seats in Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, respectively, and other alliance partners, the NDA has crossed the halfway mark.
ALSO READ: NDA leaders support BJP, approve PM Modi's name as alliance leader in key meet
