INDIA bloc to meet in 10-15 days, decide key posts: Congress President Kharge

Asked about reports that he could be the chairperson of the INDIA bloc and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar could be convenor, Kharge said: “Who will take which post, that will be decided in a meeting to be held 10 to 15 days later.”

“We are working on all constituencies and have already finalised observers for the constituencies. They will go and assess each parliamentary constituency… The exact number of seats we will contest will be known after our seat-sharing talks with the INDIA alliance partners. But we are trying to put in our efforts everywhere,” Kharge said.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the party contested in 421 seats and won 52. It was part of alliances in a handful of states — with the RJD in Bihar, NCP in Maharashtra, JD(S) in Karnataka, JMM in Jharkhand, and the DMK in Tamil Nadu. In Uttar Pradesh, it contested in 70 of the 80 seats.

The Congress is bracing for difficulties in seat sharing in some states, especially Delhi, Punjab, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.

Commenting for the first time on the invitation to the January 22 consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, Kharge said: “It is a matter of personal aastha (faith). One who has faith can go today, tomorrow and the day after too.” He said he will decide very soon.

Kharge and senior party leader Sonia Gandhi have been invited to the event and the Congress had earlier said that their decision would be conveyed at the “right time”.

Kharge also unveiled the logo of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and its slogan — “Bharat jodo nyay yatra, nyay ka haq milne tak.” He said the Congress has invited leaders of the INDIA bloc parties to join the yatra, which begins January 14.

The Congress chief targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the latter visiting Lakshadweep and other places in the country, but not violence-torn Manipur.

“An unfortunate incident happened in Manipur in May and the violence continued. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi gets photographs clicked while swimming in the sea and at newly constructed temples and places like Kerala and Mumbai… but why this mahapurush (great man) did not go to Manipur where people were being killed, and women raped… He is not going to ask about their condition. Why? Are they not part of the country?” Kharge said.

The Congress president said the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will help in “mass awakening”. Discussion and dialogue will happen on national issues during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra just like it happened during Bharat Jodo Yatra, he added.

Kharge complained that Opposition members were not allowed to raise their voices inside the Parliament and MPs were suspended in large numbers in the Winter Session.

“So, now we are going to tell people, NGOs, journalists, farmers, traders, Dalits, backward, intellectuals and tribal sections. They all will join the yatra. The yatra will be used as a platform to listen to their problems,” Kharge said.

He once again accused the BJP government of using central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate, CBI, and the Income Tax to threaten leaders and workers of Opposition parties.

Kharge said: “Modi never followed the Constitution. He follows the constitution of Nagpur (RSS headquarters).”

Referring to the new labour laws, farm issues and criminal laws, the Congress chief said the pieces of legislation brought by the government show signs of dictatorship.

As part of the party’s election efforts, Kharge Saturday set up an organisational war room with Sasikanth Senthil S as chairman. Senthil also headed the Congress’s war room in Karnataka during the assembly elections last year. The other members are Gokul Butail, Naveen Sharma, Varun Santhosh and Capt Arvind Kumar. Vaibhav Walia, a secretary in the AICC communications department, has been appointed as chairman of the communication war room.