‘Tough decisions needed...’: Mallikarjun Kharge at CWC meet, says election process a ‘suspect’ due to EVM 

During the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on November 29, party president Mallikarjun Kharge called for “tough decisions” to strengthen the party at the grassroots level and to address accountability within the organisation. He also urged party leaders to maintain unity and avoid public criticism of each other. 

Addressing the gathering at the AICC headquarters, Kharge expressed concerns over the integrity of the electoral process, suggesting that the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) has made elections a “suspect”. He stressed that it is the constitutional responsibility of the Election Commission to ensure free and fair elections. 

Kharge criticised internal divisions, noting that infighting and negative statements against fellow party members significantly harm the party’s prospects. He urged leaders to present a united front, stating, “If we do not fight elections unitedly, how can we expect to defeat our opponents?” 

He also highlighted the importance of addressing the party’s shortcomings by learning from recent electoral defeats. Kharge stressed that the Congress must develop a strategy to counter the “propaganda and misinformation” spread by political rivals and maintain discipline within the party. 

“We must remain united at all costs,” he said, reminding party workers that the party's strength lies in its collective power. “Victory for Congress is our collective victory, and defeat is our collective defeat,” Kharge added, urging members not to lose hope after the recent election results. 

On the party’s performance in Maharashtra, Kharge acknowledged that the results were disappointing despite the strong showing in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He indicated that “tough decisions” would be necessary in light of the poor performance in state elections. 

“After the Lok Sabha results, we went into the assembly elections with great enthusiasm, but the outcome was unexpected,” Kharge noted, adding that no electoral arithmetic could explain the surprising results. “While the INDIA alliance formed governments in two out of four states, our performance fell short of expectations,” he remarked, calling it a challenge for the party’s future. 

Kharge emphasised that the party must learn from these results and address weaknesses in the organisational structure. He pointed out that while the political atmosphere seemed favourable, Congress failed to translate that into electoral success, and asked asking, “What is the reason we could not convert the favourable atmosphere into results?” 

He stressed the need for improving the party’s grassroots organization, from the booth level to the AICC, and improving vigilance and preparedness at every stage of the electoral process, including voter lists and vote counting. 

Kharge acknowledged that although Congress may have lost elections, issues like unemployment, inflation and economic inequality continue to be pressing concerns in the country. He also mentioned the significance of the caste census and urged the party to start preparing early for future elections by thoroughly scrutinising the electoral rolls. 

With the changing dynamics of electoral campaigning, Kharge called for a more effective communication strategy to counter the propaganda of political opponents and to combat misinformation. He stated, “We need to learn from past results, remove weaknesses, and make bold decisions to move forward confidently.” 

The Congress president also remarked that the party cannot continue to rely on outdated methods. “We must be mindful of what our political opponents are doing and make timely decisions,” he said, stressing the importance of accountability. 

Kharge warned that the repeated defeats of Congress were allowing “fascist forces” to gain strength and take control of state institutions. He recalled the party’s significant role in the creation and implementation of India’s Constitution, saying, “It is due to the Constitution that India stands proudly in the world today.” 

Kharge also highlighted the rising challenges faced by India’s underprivileged population, exacerbated by unemployment, inflation, and deepening inequality. “The Congress must be the strong voice of the common people,” he said, adding that the party’s return to power would help implement policies benefiting the nation’s 1.4 billion citizens and foster progress. 

The meeting was chaired by Kharge and attended by prominent leaders such as former party president Rahul Gandhi, AICC general secretaries Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, KC Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh among others. 

While the Congress alliance in Maharashtra, part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, faced a crushing defeat, the party had a better showing in Jharkhand, where the JMM-led alliance won. In Haryana, the Congress was defeated by the BJP, a shock result for the party. 

(With inputs from PTI)