LS POLLS

Is there a plan to upset imminent Modi-led NDA rule? Kharge drops a hint after INDIA bloc meeting

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said the INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) bloc will continue its fight against Narendra Modi's party. He seemed to imply that the coalition of opposition parties weren't prepared to let the NDA have a comfortable rule.

The NDA secured its third term after winning 293 seats in the General Elections to the 543-member lower house. The INDIA bloc emerged a strong force by securing 233 seats, thus denying the BJP the opportunity to emerge with absolute majority on its own.

Kharge was addressing the media after a two-hour meeting with members of the coalition, including DMK's M K Stalin, Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav, NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar, CPM and CPI leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja respectively among others.

Kharge said the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections, which saw the BJP-led NDA stay in power but at the expense of the opposition gaining significant ground, was a "mandate in defence of the constitution of India".

"It is against price rise, unemployment and crony capitalism, and also to save democracy. The INDIA bloc will continue to fight against the fascist rule of the BJP led by Modi," Kharge said, with former Congress president Sonia Gandhi standing next to him.

Even as the NDA seems prepared to form a government, Kharge's closing remark meant the opposition had something else up its sleeve. "We will take appropriate steps at the appropriate time to realise the people's desire not to be ruled by the BJP's government," Kharge said.

Earlier, the NDA members held a meeting at the residence of the prime minister and elected Narendra Modi as the leader of the coalition.