INDIA bloc to get over 295 seats: Kharge after alliance meeting
New Delhi, Jun 1: INDIA bloc parties will get more than 295 seats in the Lok Sabha polls, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said on Saturday, asserting that they had arrived at the figure after feedback from people.
Addressing reporters here after a meeting of top leaders of the opposition bloc at his residence here, Kharge said the leaders of the alliance met for about two and a half hours and discussed a host of issues, especially the precautions to be taken on counting day and the instructions they have to give to their parties' workers.
Votes for the seven-phase general elections will be counted on June 4.
Targeting the BJP, he said, "They are trying to give a narrative through government exit polls and we want to tell the people the truth."
"The INDIA bloc will get more than 295 seats. We have arrived at this figure after speaking with all our leaders," Kharge said.
"This is a survey of the people. The people have given this information to our leaders. The government surveys are there and their media friends also inflate figures and put it out. Therefore, we want to tell you about the reality," the Congress president said.
INDIA bloc parties have also given instructions to their workers about Form 17 C and not to get out of the counting hall till he or she gets the certificate of election, he said.
Senior leaders of the Congress, Samajwadi Party, CPI(M), CPI, DMK, JMM, AAP, RJD, Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP (Sharad Pawar) met at Kharge's residence on Saturday afternoon and held discussions, even as the last phase of polling was underway.
TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had already said they would not attend the meeting as there were elections in the state. PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti did not attend the meeting due to personal reasons.
Opposition leaders who attended the meeting included Sharad Pawar, Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav, Anil Desai, Sitaram Yechury, Arvind Kejriwal, Bhagwant Mann, Sanjay Singh, Raghav Chadha, Champai Soren, Kalpana Soren, T R Baalu, Farooq Abdullah, D Raja and Mukesh Sahani.
Congress leaders Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and K C Venugopal were also present at the meeting.
𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐀 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟗𝟓+ 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐬 🇮🇳 ✌️ pic.twitter.com/CXMHl4t66Z
— Congress (@INCIndia) June 1, 2024
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
'Hard work brought me this far': Shivakumar confident about what Cong may decide for him
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said on Sunday that his hard work has brought him this far in politics and that he is confident about the Congress party’s future decision regarding him.
Shivakumar, also the state Congress president, made the comments amid a "power tussle" in the party over the chief minister’s post, in which he is involved.
He made the remarks while addressing the 'Udyami Vokkaliga-FC Expo 2025', an event aimed at promoting Vokkaliga entrepreneurship.
Shivakumar belongs to the Vokkaliga community, which has a substantial presence in south Karnataka.
"For my hard work, I have come this far, serving eight times as MLA and working in Bengaluru among all these people. I have faced many challenges to reach this position, and I am here. Whatever the party decides for me in the future, I am confident," Shivakumar said.
Recalling public support during his jail term for "political reasons", he said, "People across parties and communities continue to pray for me. I have said before...efforts may fail, but prayer never fails."
Shivakumar was arrested by the ED in September 2019 in a money laundering case, and the Delhi High Court granted him bail the following month.
Referring to being called a 'bande' (rock) by supporters, he said, "A rock is natural. When carved, it takes shape, and when worshipped in the form of an idol, it becomes culture."
The "power tussle" within the ruling party has intensified amid speculation about a possible change in the CM after the Congress government completed the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20.
The speculation follows a 2023 "power-sharing" pact between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.
In a veiled attack on JD(S) leader and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy, also a Vokkaliga, Shivakumar said members of his own community target and criticise him every day, but added that such things are common in politics.
"I may be younger, but I have gained extensive experience without any political background. Who is targeting me at the end of the day? It is members of my own community criticising me on TV and social media. Such attacks are common in politics, and we shouldn’t be bothered by them," he said.
Defending his record during the Kumaraswamy-led Congress-JD(S) coalition government, he said, "Kumaranna accused me of backstabbing him. No problem—I don’t need a certificate from anyone. My conscience is enough".
Responding to a question about Kumaraswamy’s claim that Siddaramaiah is on a "lease" as CM, Shivakumar said the chief minister is capable of responding and added, "We don’t take such statements seriously."
On MGNREGA, he said he is ready for a debate with opposition leaders. "The opposition has also said it is ready. Let any TV news channel organise a debate. I will participate whenever required. I welcome Kumaraswamy too," he said.
Clarifying his readiness for a public debate, Shivakumar added, "Let their party president, BJP’s B Y Vijayendra, come. I welcome Kumaraswamy as well. I have accepted the challenge. Whenever they schedule it, I am ready for a debate in the Assembly or on any TV channel. I need three days to adjust my schedule, but I don’t require preparation. I have MGNREGA details at my fingertips."
The Congress has demanded that the Centre scrap the new Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-GRAM) Act and restore the UPA-era MGNREGA scheme.
