"INDIA bloc must continue, function cohesively both in parliament and outside": Kharge at extended CWC meeting

NEW DELHI: Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said that the opposition coalition, the INDIA bloc must continue as he acknowledged the role of constituent parties that facilitated better numbers in Lok Sabha elections. While addressing the extended CWC meeting in New Delhi on Saturday, Kharge said "I will be failing in my duty if I don't acknowledge the INDIA Alliance partners, in which each party played its designated role in different states, each party contributed to the other."

"Our determination is that the INDIA group must continue. We must function cohesively and collectively both in parliament and outside," he said. He said that the issues that the opposition raised in the election campaign are issues that are bothering the people of India. We have to continue to raise them both in parliament and outside, he said. The Congress chief also urged the party members to remain 'disciplined and united'.

"The people have reposed their faith back in us in substantial measures and we must build on it. We accept this verdict with genuine humility. Whether we are in power or not, the Congress party's work continues. We have to work amongst our people 24 hours, 365 days and raise their issues," he said. Kharge said that separate discussions will be held for each state where the Congress party performed poorly in the general elections. "While we celebrate the revival, we should pause a little as in some states we have not performed to our abilities and expectations.

Further, we could not repeat our performance in states where we had previously done well in Vidhan Sabha elections and formed the government," he said. "We will soon be holding separate discussions on each such state. We have to take urgent remedial measures. These are states that have traditionally favoured Congress, where we have opportunities that we have to harness not for our own advantage but for the benefit of our people. This exercise I propose to hold very soon," he added. As he congratulated the party leaders and workers across the country on the party's performance, Kharge dubbed the ruling party's performance to be a 'decisive rejection of politics of last 10 years.'

"The Congress Working Committee congratulates leaders and crores of workers for their determination, will power and resolve. People have spoken against the dictatorial and anti-democratic ways of the ruling party. It is a decisive rejection of the politics of the last 10 years. Its rejection of the politics of divisiveness, hate and polarization," he said. He also highlighted the Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi which was held in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections across the country crediting it for the increase in voter percentage.

"I want to draw your attention to the fact that wherever Bharat Jodo Yatra went we saw an increase in the vote percentage and number of seats for the Congress party. In Manipur, we won both the seats. We also won seats in Nagaland, Assam, and Meghalaya. In Maharashtra, we emerged as the single-largest party. People from all walks of life supported the congress party to save the country's democracy and constitution," he said.

"Other than this, we saw an increase in seats dominated by SC, ST, OBC, and minority voters as well as in rural areas. Going forward, we have to make our presence felt in urban areas as well," he added.

The Congress has emerged as the second-largest party in the election and improved its tally to 100, from 52 in the 2019 Lok Sabha poll. Top Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, among others are likely to participate in the deliberations.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to take oath for the third successive term in office on June 9. BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won a successive third term in office in the results of Lok Sabha elections declared on June 4.