New Delhi: The INDIA bloc on Wednesday said it will take "appropriate steps at the appropriate time" to realise the people's desire not to be ruled by the BJP government, an assertion that was seen as reflecting the alliance's wait and watch approach while keeping its options open.
At a meeting of the INDIA bloc, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the opposition alliance welcomes all parties which share its fundamental commitment to the values enshrined in the Preamble to the Constitution and to its many provisions for economic, social and political justice.
Kharge, flanked by former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, NCP (SCP) president Sharad Pawar, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee and other leaders of the INDIA bloc, read out a joint statement by the alliance after the meeting and said the grouping will continue to fight against the "fascist rule" of the BJP led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He said the constituents of the alliance thank the people of India for their "overwhelming support". "The people's mandate has been a befitting reply to the BJP and their politics of hate, corruption and deprivation. This is a political and moral defeat of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," the Congress president said.
"This is a mandate in defence of the Constitution of India and against price rise, unemployment and crony capitalism of the Modi government. The INDIA bloc will continue to fight against the fascist rule of the BJP led by Shri Modi," he said. Reading out the statement, Kharge said, "We will take appropriate steps at the appropriate time to realise the people's desire not to be ruled by the BJP's government."
He said the decision has been taken by all constituents of the INDIA bloc in one voice. Amid speculation over the INDIA bloc's next move after its good performance in the Lok Sabha polls, the alliance partners held an over two-hour-long meeting at Kharge's 10, Rajaji Marg, residence here.
Besides Kharge, top Congress leaders, including Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former party chief Rahul Gandhi and AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also attended the meeting.
Leaders attending the meeting included Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and T R Baalu of the DMK, Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren and Kalpana Soren of the JMM, Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule of the NCP-SCP, Akhilesh Yadav and Ram Gopal Yadav (SP), Abhishek Banerjee (TMC), Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), Sanjay Raut and Arvind Sawant (Shiv Sena-UBT), Omar Abdullah (JKNC), Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), D Raja (CPI), Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chadha (AAP) and N K Premchandran (RSP).
The meeting comes a day after the Lok Sabha poll results. While 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 held a parallel meeting on government formation. The opposition alliance has 234 seats.
In his remarks at the meeting, Kharge welcomed the INDIA bloc partners and 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," he said. However, Prime Minister Modi is determined to subvert the will of the people, Kharge alleged at the meeting.
"The INDIA Alliance welcomes all parties which share its fundamental commitment to the values enshrined in the Preamble to our Constitution and to its many provisions for economic, social and political justice," he said. The Congress president had convened the meeting to discuss the political situation and the election results, explore any possibility of government formation and whether to reach out to their old partners Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu.
He also said the opposition bloc would continue to work together and would definitely stand by the promises made to the people and keep them.
Interacting with reporters after the meeting, CPI general secretary D Raja said, "The statement, unanimously adopted in the meeting, was read out by Kharge. The statement makes it very clear... what is our understanding of people's verdict. This is a verdict against the communal and fascist politics of the BJP and we will continue our fight."
While the BJP on its own fell short of an absolute 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.
The TDP and JD(U) have already dismissed suggestions of defecting to the opposition alliance and have clearly stated that they will remain with the NDA. Sources, however, said the Congress and some other party leaders are already trying to woo them and have been in touch with them.
