NEW DELHI: Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge termed the results a mandate against PM Modi and a “very big and damaging political and moral defeat” for him and BJP as “he sought votes in his own name everywhere he went”.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said, “the main message in this election is that people have unanimously and clearly said, ‘we don’t want Narendra Modi and Amit Shah involved in the running of this country’.” Rahul said INDIA bloc fought this election as one and with clarity, giving India “a new vision: a pro-poor vision”.
Kharge and Gandhi addressed a press conference here on Tuesday evening in the presence of Congress Parliamentary Party leader Sonia Gandhi. “We have always said this election is a battle between Modi and the people. We humbly accept the people’s mandate,” Kharge said.
He said Bloc India’s electoral victory was a people’s mandate and a “victory for the people and democracy.” “This time, the people did not give an absolute majority to any party, especially the ruling BJP, which wanted their votes in the name of one person and one face,” Kharge said.
He asserted that the Indian Union fought despite difficult circumstances, even though government machinery “created obstacles” at every stage, including confiscation of bank accounts. “But our campaign was positive and focused on issues like inflation, unemployment, plight of farmers and misuse of constitutional institutions,” Kharge said.
Rahul Gandhi said that for the Congress and the Indian Bloc, this general election was a fight to protect the Constitution and that the campaign’s focus on reservations and poverty garnered voter support.
Rahul further said that “the poorest and most backward people of India stood up to protect the Constitution” and that the Opposition fought this election with clarity and gave India “a new vision, a pro-poor vision”.
When asked whether he would hold out for Wayanad or Rae Bareli, Rahul said he was yet to decide.