The opposition Congress yesterday expressed its willingness to ally “with all like-minded parties” with a “pragmatic approach” to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections with party chief Rahul Gandhi stating the country was feeling tired and wanted a change.
The 84th plenary of the Congress saw party leaders making strident attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government on a range of issues including corruption, problems of farmers and unemployment.
Former Congress president and United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi called the ruling alliance “arrogant”, “power-drunk”, “dictatorial” and only working to finish the main opposition party in the nearly four years of its rule.
Gandhi sought to enthuse the party’s rank and file for the challenging battles ahead, including the Karnataka Assembly elections later this year, saying Congress’ victory was the country’s victory.
In an indication of how the party plans to defeat to BJP-led coalition in 2019, she recalled the flexibility shown by the party in favour of alliances ahead of the 2004 Lok Sabha polls to hand out an unexpected thrashing to the then National Democratic Alliance government.
She accused Modi of indulging in “dramabaazi” (gimmicks)” to earn votes.
Party president Rahul Gandhi set the tone of the plenary with his brief but succinct speech, saying the meeting was aimed at setting the future direction not only of the Congress but of the entire country.
Seeking to tap into the perceived rural distress and growing need of jobs for youth, he said various sections were feeling disenchanted under the BJP.
“The crores of youth, who are feeling tired today, when they look towards Modi, they are unable to see a way forward. They do not know from where they will get employment, when farmers will get proper price for their crops. The country is in a way tired, is seeking a way out.
“And I say from my heart that only the Congress can show the path to the country,” Gandhi said.
“The aim of the plenary is to show the path forward to the Congress and the country. It is talking of the future, it is talking of change,” he said.
The plenary, which will conclude today, adopted a political resolution and another on agriculture, employment and poverty alleviation.
Sonia Gandhi, in her hard-hitting 15-minute speech, asked party workers to again make the Congress a party that sets the fundamental agenda of the country.
“In the last four years, to destroy the Congress, the arrogant and drunk-with-power Modi government has left no stone unturned. There is open play of allurement, money, repression and discrimination but the Congress has never bowed to arrogance of power and will never bow in the future.
“Rather, the Congress is putting up a struggle to expose the dictatorial ways of the Modi government, its neglect of Constitution, disrespect of parliament, false cases against the opposition and its harassment of the media,” she said.
Gandhi said Modi’s 2014 slogans of “development for all” and “no tolerance for graft” were only gimmicks to grab power.
The resolution also targeted the government on the issue of corruption, referring to over Rs130bn Punjab National Bank fraud case.
It accused the BJP, Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) and their affiliates of creating an environment of distrust, fear and intimidation.
AIADMK must support no-trust motion: Stalin
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader M K Stalin yesterday said the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam must support a no-trust motion against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government. In a statement, he said if his party had been in the Lok Sabha it would have announced its decision to support the Telugu Desam Party’s motion. Stalin said Chief Minister K Palaniswami should announce AIADMK’s support for the no-trust motion and apply pressure on the central government for setting up the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) and Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee (CWRC). Of the 39 Lok Sabha members from Tamil Nadu in the Lok Sabha, the AIADMK has 37 while the BJP and Pattali Makkal Katchi have one each.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi embraces his mother and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi during the 84th plenary session of the party in New Delhi yesterday.
