The Opposition INDIA bloc, for now, will sit in the opposition benches, even though Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP are "subverting the will of the people," Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said today. But there was a caveat. "The INDIA bloc will continue to resist the fascist rule… We will take appropriate steps at the appropriate time to realise the people's desire not to be ruled by the BJP," he added.
The thinly veiled reference was to the Opposition's initial idea of prising away Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Telugu Desam Party chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister-elect Chandrababu Naidu.
But the two erstwhile allies signed up the NDA earlier today with formal letters of support, pouring cold water on the Opposition's hopes of a realignment that would put the INDIA bloc on the driver's seat.
At the beginning of the INDIA bloc strategy session, held at his home this evening, Mr Kharge had issued an open invitation.
"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," the Congress chief said.
The Opposition, riding a high that came after a decade, has demanded the resignation of PM Modi, declaring that the results of the Lok Sabha Elections made it clear that the people want him to go.
"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," Mr Kharge said, Sonia Gandhi at his side.
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, corruption and deprivation. This is a political and moral defeat of Prime… pic.twitter.com/oWyQSrxWBR
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) June 5, 2024
The BJP won 240 seats and 293 with its allies — 28 of them are contributions of Mr Kumar and Mr Naidu, who is also the Chief Minister-elect of Andhra Pradesh with a spectacular comeback under his belt. The INDIA bloc has 232 seats, 99 from Congress alone.