Congress Not Interested In Power Or PM Post: Kharge At Opposition Meet

During a meeting of 26 Opposition parties to discuss strategy for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Congress party president Mallikarjun Kharge has stated that the Congress is not driven by a desire for power or the position of Prime Minister.

Following last month's inaugural gathering in Patna to form an anti-BJP political front, the Bengaluru meeting serves as a continuation of these efforts.

Originally planned for Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, the venue was changed to Bengaluru due to adverse weather conditions in the hill state.

Meanwhile, the BJP is convening a meeting of 38 parties from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the national capital, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

This NDA meeting marks the completion of nine years of the central government under Prime Minister Modi.

In reference to the NDA meeting, Kharge asserts that the BJP is unsettled by the unity of the opposition and seeks solace in numbers.

Scheduled to commence at 11am, the Opposition meeting on 18 July was preceded by a dinner hosted by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for leaders of various Opposition parties.

Addressing the gathering on the second day of the meeting, Kharge emphasised that the primary goal of the Opposition is to safeguard the Constitution, democracy, secularism, and social justice, rather than seeking personal power.

Kharge acknowledged the presence of differences among opposition parties at the state level, but he clarified that these differences are not rooted in ideology.

He further asserted that these differences should not hinder the collective effort to address the issues faced by the common man, the middle class affected by inflation, the unemployed youth, and marginalised communities such as the poor, Dalits, Adivasis, and minorities whose rights are being suppressed.

Currently, there are 26 parties that have come together and are in government in 11 states.

According to him, the BJP did not secure 303 seats on its own but rather relied on the votes of its allies to come into power.

However, after gaining power, they abandoned these allies. He further mentioned that the BJP president and other leaders are now scrambling from state to state in an attempt to reconcile with their former allies.