RAIPUR: Asserting its primacy in the Opposition space, the Congress on Saturday said it alone was capable of leading the country in the “prevailing difficult circumstances” but was ready to forge viable alliances and “willing to make sacrifices” while cautioning against the emergence of any third force which, the party said, would only help the BJP.
While Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, addressing the 85th AICC plenary here today, claimed for the party a pivotal role in any anti-BJP alliance at a time when the TMC, BRS and AAP were competing for Opposition space, the Congress’ draft political resolution cautioned against the emergence of a third force, besides vowing to move court should the EC fail to address concerns related to EVMs. “Unity of secular and socialist forces will be the hallmark of the future of the Congress. The Congress should go all out to identify, mobilise and align with like-minded secular forces. We should include secular regional forces who agree with our ideology. There is an urgent need for a united Opposition to take on the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) on common ideological grounds. Emergence of any third force will provide advantage to the BJP/NDA,” the resolution read. The draft was prepared by a political affairs sub-group headed by former Union Minister M Veerappa Moily and former Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan.
Kharge, in his address to nearly 1,500 Congress delegates, said in the prevailing circumstances, the Indian National Congress was the only party in the country that could provide a capable and decisive leadership to the country. “From 2014, our alliance with like-minded parties served the people of the country effectively and we once again look forward to forging a viable alternative by aligning with like-minded parties to defeat the anti-people, undemocratic BJP government. We are ready to strive for the welfare of the people of our country and whatever sacrifices that are required, our goal for the upcoming state elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections is clear,” Kharge said.
The political resolution stated that the Congress would prepare a vision document for 2024, following a “largest-ever” mass contact programme, which would encompass issues of unemployment, eradication of poverty, inflation, women’s empowerment, job creation and national security.
“Specially, the Congress must reverse the current regressive path of growth without improving the lives of the poorest,” the draft resolution read. It proposed to pass a law to prevent and punish hate crime and noted that more than 14 recognised political parties, eminent activists and computer scientists had raised concerns on the efficacy of electronic voting machines.
“The Congress will build the widest possible consensus with like-minded political parties to take up the issue with the ECI”, the resolution read, adding that if the Election Commission of India did not respond, the party would move the courts.
It promised “Right to Healthcare Act”, called for restoration of statehood in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir and bringing Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.