INDIA leaders huddle at Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence in Delhi, discuss road ahead

The leaders of the INDIA Bloc held a meeting on Wednesday, at the residence of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi, to discuss the results of the Lok Sabha elections and the road ahead. (Photo: X/Congress)

“The public opinion of the 18th Lok Sabha elections is directly against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The elections were fought on his name and face and the public has given a clear message to his leadership by not giving the BJP a majority,” Kharge said during the opening remarks of the meeting. (Photo: X/Congress)

“We hereby also convey that the INDIA Alliance welcomes all political parties that have unwavering faith in the Preamble of the Constitution of India and are committed to its objectives of economic, social and political justice,” Kharge added.

“We will take appropriate steps at the appropriate time to realise the people's desire not to be ruled by the BJP govt. This is our decision that whatever promises we have made to the people, we will keep it up,” the Congress president said at a press conference that followed.

Leaders, who formed a part of the meeting, included Sonia Gandhi (INC), Rahul Gandhi (INC), Sharad Pawar (NCP), MK Stalin (DMK), Akhilesh Yadav (SP), Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (INC), Raghav Chadha (AAP), among others.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief and former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray did not attend the meeting. However, party leaders Sanjay Raut, Anil Desai and Arvind Sawant attended it on Uddhav’s behalf. (Photo: X/Congress)

In the Lok Sabha election results that were declared on Tuesday, the Congress won 99 seats, significantly improving its 2019 tally when it had managed to get only 52 seats. The Opposition INDIA bloc collectively bagged 232 seats.