Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge stated on Tuesday that his party is not primarily focused on becoming the Prime Minister after the next elections. Instead, they are committed to working with their allies to protect the fundamental principles of India, such as the Constitution, secularism, and democracy. Kharge emphasized the importance of setting aside differences among parties at the state level for the well-being of the common Indian citizen.
Kharge’s statement sends a strong message during the ongoing discussions to form a new alliance. As the Congress party is not only the largest party in the alliance but also has a presence throughout India, it is seen as a unifying force, similar to its role in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) era.
Leaders from other parties supported Kharge’s words. A senior leader from a non-Congress party welcomed the speech, highlighting the need for the Congress to show magnanimity and inclusiveness. A representative from a Left party agreed that Kharge accurately reflected the sentiment of the gathering and stressed the importance of clarifying the leadership question to avoid complications for the alliance.
A leader from a regional party also appreciated Kharge’s comments and noted that the discussions so far have intentionally avoided discussing the issue of leadership. This leader emphasized that Kharge’s remarks indicate that the matter of leadership remains open for the alliance. The Congress leader also highlighted the importance of political parties uniting and collaborating.
Kharge acknowledged that while there may be differences among parties at the state level, these differences can be overcome for the betterment of the common people facing inflation and unemployment. He emphasized the need to work together for the welfare of marginalized communities whose rights are being suppressed.
Kharge highlighted the significant political strength represented by the 26 parties gathered, with a collective presence in 11 state governments. He expressed satisfaction with their unity in Bengaluru and noted that the BJP, despite not securing a majority on its own, relied on the votes of its allies to come to power and subsequently neglected them. Now, the BJP is trying to mend ties with its former allies due to the unity they see in the alliance.
The Congress leader also expressed concern over the misuse of institutions against the Opposition and called for collective efforts to restore progress, welfare, and true democracy in India.
In addition to Kharge, several prominent leaders addressed the event, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee, MK Stalin, Uddhav Thackeray, Nitish Kumar, Hemant Soren, Sharad Pawar, Vaiko, Sitaram Yechury, Tholkappiyan Thirumavalavan, and Dipankar Bhattacharya.
