Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge with party leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and K.C. Venugopal during the extended Congress Working Committee meeting, in New Delhi, Saturday. — Photo:PTI
New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said the Lok Sabha poll mandate is a “decisive rejection” of the politics of divisiveness and hate, and stressed that the I.N.D.I.A bloc must continue functioning cohesively both inside and outside Parliament..
In his opening remarks at the Congress Working Committee meeting here, Kharge also asserted that while celebrating its “revival”, the party should pause a little as it did not perform to its abilities and expectations in some States.
“Further, we could not repeat our performance in States where we had previously done well in Vidhan Sabha elections and formed the government,” he said. Separate discussions on each such State will be held soon, he said.
“We have to take urgent remedial measures. These are States which have traditionally favoured the Congress, where we have opportunities which we have to harness not for our own advantage but for the benefit of our people. This exercise I propose to hold very soon,” the Congress chief said.
Kharge further said whether the party is in power or not, its work continues amongst people “24 hours, 365 days”, and raise their issues. The Congress Working Committee congratulated leaders and workers for their determination, will power and resolve.
“People have spoken against the dictatorial and anti-democratic ways of the ruling party. It is a decisive rejection of the politics of the last 10 years. It is rejection of the politics of divisiveness, hate and polarisation,” Kharge said.
“I want to draw your attention to the fact that wherever Bharat Jodo Yatra went we saw an increase in the vote percentage and number of seats for the Congress party,” he said.
Noting that the Congress won both the seats of Manipur, Kharge said the party also won seats in Nagaland, Assam, and Meghalaya. “In Maharashtra, we emerged as the single-largest party. People from all walks of life supported the Congress party to save the country’s democracy and constitution,” he said.
Other than this, Kharge said the party also saw an increase in seats dominated by SC, ST, OBC, and minority voters, as well as seats in rural areas. Going forward, the Congress has to make its presence felt in urban areas as well, he added.