Calling the June 4 results a mandate against the Narendra Modi government, the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA bloc) at the end of a two-hour meeting at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence in New Delhi on June 5 said it would take “appropriate steps” at the “appropriate time” to realise the people’s desire not to be ruled by the BJP government.
At the meeting, 33 leaders from 21 parties expressed the opinion that while doors should be kept open for N. Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and their erstwhile ally Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), the bloc will be patient for the right opportunity. It was agreed that the allies should remain vigilant whenever the BJP government moves a confidence motion in Parliament, which could possibly offer them an opening.
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Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, according to sources, opined that the bloc has been successful in demolishing “brand Modi”. He also advised the allies to remain flexible and accommodative to keep the bloc united. Trinamool Congress’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee was the only one to claim that a few elected BJP MPs are in touch with his party.
There were a few feeble comments on necessity for a convener, but this conversation did not dominate the discourse as few leaders pointed out that the bloc had already anointed Mr. Kharge as the chairperson.
Little introspection
There was little introspection on the losses faced by some of the allies such as the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Aam Aadmi Party, both of which won far fewer seats than they had claimed at the June 1 meeting. The leaders instead went around congratulating the winners, with one of the leaders particularly pointing out the victory of Awdesh Prasad, a Dalit leader, who won the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat, a general constituency. Mr. Prasad’s victory, several leaders said, was inspiring. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin was applauded for clean sweep in the State for the bloc.
At the end of the meeting, Mr. Kharge read out the joint resolution, thanking the people of India for the “overwhelming support received” by the alliance. “The people’s mandate has given 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. This is a mandate in defence of the Constitution of India and against price rise, unemployment and crony capitalism of the Modi government.”
The resolution also pledged to continue their fight against the “fascist rule of BJP”. “We will take appropriate steps at the appropriate time to realise the people’s desire not to be ruled by the BJP’s government,” Mr. Kharge read. He was flanked by all the leaders who attended the meeting. No questions were taken by group.
The meeting was attended by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president Mr. Stalin, Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren and former Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s wife Kalpana Soren, Mr. Akhilesh Yadav, Mr. Abhishek Banerjee, NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar, RJD leader Mr. Tejashwi Yadav and Sanjay Raut from the Shiv Sena (UBT) among others. General secretaries of four Left parties — CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury, CPI’s D. Raja, CPI(ML)’s Dipankar Bhattacharya and AIFB’s G. Devarajan — were also present. From the Congress, other than Mr. Kharge, the Gandhi family — Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra — too was in attendance.
