INDIA bloc meets to decide next course of action

NEW DELHI: The opposition INDIA bloc, led by the Congress, convened a meeting to strategize its future steps, Congress marking the grand old party’s victory in 99 seats, its most successful performance since 2009. The opposition coalition, which surprised everyone with its impressive performance, currently holds a total of 234 seats.

The meeting was held at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence in Delhi. Addressing the party members Kharge said, “We fought well, fought unitedly, fought resolutely. The mandate is decisively against Mr Modi, against him and the substance and style of his politics. It is a huge political loss for him personally apart from being a clear moral defeat as well. However, he is determined to subvert the will of the people,” he stated.

33 leaders, including Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, who gained 37 seats in Uttar Pradesh against the 33 seats won by the BJP; K.C. Venugopal, who won the election in Kerala’s Alappuzha; Sharad Pawar, the founder and president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP); Supriya Sule, the daughter of Sharad Pawar, who won from the Baramati constituency; along with Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi, were present at the meeting. 

Kharge welcomed all the parties and said, “The INDIA alliance welcomes all parties which share its fundamental commitment to the values enshrined in the Preamble of our Constitution and its many provisions for economic, social, and political justice.”

On the other hand, NDA also concluded its meeting held at the residence of Narendra Modi in Delhi on June 5 and released a proposal unanimously declaring Narendra Modi as Prime Minister for the third time where 21 allies including JD(U)’s Nitish Kumar and TDP’s Chandrababu Naidu gave their written support.