INDIA Bloc Meet: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge Says 'Will Continue to Fight Against Fascist Rule of BJP Led by PM Narendra Modi' After Opposition Gathering in Delhi (Watch Video)

New Delhi, June 5: After the INDIA bloc meeting concluded on Wednesday, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge thanked the people for supporting them and said that the bloc would continue to fight against the fascist rule of the BJP led by PM Modi.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Kharge said, "The constituents of the INDIA bloc thank the people of India for the overwhelming support received by our alliance. 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. The INDIA bloc will continue to fight against the fascist rule of the BJP led by Modi." INDIA Bloc Meet: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge Welcomes ‘All Parties With Similar Values’ at Opposition Gathering (See Pics).

"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 said. Several INDIA bloc leaders took part in the INDIA bloc meeting held at the Congress President's house.

Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Congress leader KC Venugopal; Kalpana Soren, JMM MLA and wife of former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren; Revolutionary Socialist Party leader NK Premachandran. AAP MP Raghav Chaddha, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, NCP (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule, Dipankar Bhattacharya and Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin were among the leaders who took part in the meeting. 'Will Take Appropriate Steps at Appropriate Time': INDIA Bloc Unlikely to Stake Claim to Form Government, Mallikarjun Kharge Calls Lok Sabha Election Results 'Befitting Reply' to BJP (Watch Video).

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said, "We have decided that this mandate is against increasing fascism and against those destroying the Constitution. At the right time, we will move forward towards fulfilling people's desire to change the government." PK Kunhalikutty, National General Secretary of Indian Union Muslim League said that they (BJP) don't have a comfortable majority and the INDIA bloc will wait for the appropriate time.

Mallikarjun Kharge Says 'Will Continue To Fight'

ER Eswaran, General Secretary, Kongunadu Makkal Desia Katchi said, "The mandate is clearly for the INDIA bloc. But the situation is not conducive and numbers are not with us." Dipankar Bhattacharya, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation says, "It was a fruitful meeting. We adopted a resolution thanking people for supporting our election campaign and that the mandate is squarely against the BJP govt."

According to the Election Commission of India, the BJP won 240 seats, much lower than its 2019 tally of 303. The Congress, on the other hand, registered a strong improvement, winning 99 seats. While the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance won 292 seats, the INDIA bloc crossed the 230 mark, posing stiff competition, and defying all predictions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has secured a third term, but the BJP needed the support of other parties in his coalition, primarily JD (U) chief Nitish Kumar and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu.

On the other hand, NDA leaders unanimously passed a resolution in the meeting, electing Narendra Modi as their leader. The meeting was held at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence here on Wednesday. In today's NDA meet, with the support of Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu, the NDA has secured majority and will soon stake claim to form the government at the Centre.

During the meeting, the NDA leaders congratulated the Prime Minister for his leadership and the strides made by the nation under him in the last 10 years.

The NDA leaders will meet President Droupadi Murmu after a meeting with the newly elected members of the Lok Sabha scheduled for June 7. The sources added that Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, and Nadda will hold a meeting with the allies to discuss government formation. PM Modi will take the oath for the third time on June 8, sources said.

President Droupadi Murmu dissolved the 17th Lok Sabha on Wednesday after the recommendation of the Union Cabinet. "The President accepted the advice of the Cabinet on June 5, 2024, and signed the Order dissolving the 17th Lok Sabha in the exercise of the powers conferred upon her by Sub-Clause (2) of Article 85 of the Constitution," a statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan said on Wednesday.