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INDA bloc leaders soon after holding a meeting at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence, in New Delhi on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma
INDIA bloc parties will win at the very least 295 seats Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said at the end of a meeting of 13 Opposition parties at his residence in Delhi, offering a counter to the exit polls figures. He also implored all polling agents of the Opposition parties to remain vigilant on the counting day of June 4 asking them not to leave the counting halls till the last vote is counted.
The figure of 295 was arrived on the basis of a state-wise assessment taking inputs from all the leaders present at the meeting. The INDIA bloc has also sought an appointment with the Election Commission to raise issues about the counting exercise. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is to surrender and return to jail on Sunday at the end of his bail term, is likely to accompany the delegation.
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“INDIA bloc will win at least 295 seats… it will be over that, but not less. We have analysed after discussing with all the leaders, and there is no doubt in the number. This is people’s survey, based on the information given by people,” Mr. Kharge said, flanked by all the leaders present there. Terming the exit polls “sarkari survey” (government’s survey), Mr. Kharge insisted that the 295 figure that the INDIA bloc had reached is a result of “janata ka survey”(people’s survey).
“Exuberant” and “enthusiastic” were the two adjectives used by the attendees to describe the mood of the meeting. Sources said the meeting began with a conversation on the “precautions” needed for the counting day. RJD leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav advocated for remaining alert on counting day, seeking recounting on seats that went down to the wire in the 2020 Bihar Assembly election.
Each of the leaders was asked to give their assessment of INDIA bloc’s electoral performance. A source said that Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav expressed the view that, even by a conservative outlook, he expected the alliance to win at least 50% of the seats in Uttar Pradesh. Mr. Tejashwi Yadav, made a similar prediction for Bihar, claiming half of the 40 seats for the bloc. In Maharashtra, where two factions of the Shiv Sena and the NCP are fighting each other in opposing alliances, former Chief Minister Sharad Pawar said that the INDIA bloc could win 26 seats out of the 48 seats in the State. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Desai took a far more optimistic stand, claiming that the Opposition bloc could win up to 32 seats. The leaders concluded that the bloc would do exceedingly well in the southern States, leaving no berths for the BJP in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The Congress, as per its assessment, could win up to 15 seats in Karnataka and 10 in Telangana.
“There was a general consensus, that in this election the INDIA bloc has been able to establish a bond with the voters and there is a sentiment to vote out the Narendra Modi government. Anything more than 230 for the BJP will clearly show there was manipulation,” a senior leader who attended the meeting said.
During the meeting, it was also decided that the INDIA bloc should be represented at the television debates on the exit polls. The Congress on Friday night had announced that it would not be sending any representative for these debates, arguing against the exit polls. But Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s wife Kalpana Soren argued that the INDIA bloc should not leave the field open for the BJP-led NDA and insisted that their narrative should also be presented.
There was no conversation on government formation, common minimum programme or a prime ministerial candidate. Mr. Kharge abruptly ended the press briefing when asked about the prime ministerial candidate for the group.
While the meeting was on, Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh in a post on social media platform X accused Home Minister Amit Shah of interference in the polling process. “The outgoing Home Minister has been calling up DMs/Collectors. So far he has spoken to 150 of them. This is blatant and brazen intimidation, showing how desperate the BJP is. Let it be very clear: the will of the people shall prevail, and on June 4, Mr. Modi, Mr. Shah, and the BJP will exit, and the INDIA janbandhan will be victorious. Officers should not get under any pressure and must uphold the Constitution. They are under watch,” Mr. Ramesh said.
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The Trinamool Congress excused itself from the meeting, citing polling on a crucial nine seats in the last phase of polls. Congress Parliamentary Party chief Sonia Gandhi, senior leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and K.C. Venugopal were among those representing the Congress.
Three Chief Ministers — Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi), Bhagwant Mann (Punjab) and Champai Soren (Jharkhand) were present. Former Maharashtra CM Sharad Pawar, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI general secretary D. Raja, CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, T.R. Baalu from the DMK, Anil Desai from the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Mukesh Sahani from the Vikassheel Insaan Party also attended the meeting.
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