'INDIA bloc will take appropriate steps at appropriate time,' says Kharge as NDA prepares to form govt

Lok Sabha Results 2024: A day after Lok Sabha results, the INDIA bloc leaders met at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's residence to decide on the strategy to form the government. 

After the meeting, Kharge said the INDIA bloc would continue to "fight against the fascist rule of the BJP led by PM Modi". "We will take the appropriate steps at the appropriate time to realise the people's desire not to be ruled by the BJP's government."

"This is our decision and we altogether agreed on these points and we will keep up with the promises we have given to the people," the Congress President added. 

Akhilesh Yadav, who has emerged as a giant slayer as his party Samajwadi Party bagged the highest 37 seats in Uttar Pradesh, attended the meeting along with other INDIA partners such as NCP's Sharad Pawar, Tejashwi Yadav, MK Stalin, TMC's Abhishek Banerjee, Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut. 

The INDIA bloc's crucial meeting comes hours after the NDA leaders met in Delhi and backed Modi as their leader. The NDA leaders will have another meeting on Friday, and then meet the president to stake claim to form the government.   

 Uddhav Thackeray did not attend the INDIA bloc meeting but sent Sanjay Raut. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also did not turn up for the meet but her nephew Abhishek Banerjee attended the huddle. 

The INDIA bloc has 234 Lok Sabha seats, 38 short of the majority mark of 272 in the 543-member House. The Congress bagged 99, almost double the number it got in 2019. Mamata Banerjee's TMC has got 29 seats, while Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party secured 37, causing a political earthquake in Uttar Pradesh. 

PK Kunhalikutty, National General Secretary of the Indian Union Muslim League, said the BJP does not have a comfortable majority. "INDIA alliance will wait for the appropriate time."