Dainik Nation News Portal
In a fiery address to the newly elected Congress MPs, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asserting that he has suffered a “political and moral defeat” in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. Speaking at the Central Hall of the old Parliament, Gandhi declared that the ruling party’s dominance over parliamentary proceedings must end.
“The Prime Minister, who sought the mandate solely in his name to the exclusion of both his party and its allies, has suffered a political and moral defeat. In reality, he has lost the mandate he sought and thereby lost the right to leadership as well,” Gandhi said, highlighting Modi’s failure to secure a majority on his own. She criticized Modi for not taking responsibility for his electoral setback and accused him of intending to continue his governance style without acknowledging the electorate’s message.
Despite the BJP securing 240 seats in the general elections, the party fell short of the majority mark of 272. The Opposition’s Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) exceeded expectations, effectively curbing the BJP’s pre-poll target of 370 seats. However, with allies such as Janata Dal (United), Telugu Desam Party, Shiv Sena, and other smaller partners, the NDA remains positioned to form the government.
Gandhi, re-elected as the chairperson of the Congress’s Parliamentary Party for another five years, urged her party’s MPs to vigilantly hold the NDA government accountable. “As members of the CPP, we have a special obligation to be watchful, vigilant, and proactive in holding him and his new NDA government accountable. No longer can and should Parliament be bulldozed like it has been for a decade now,” she stated.
The Congress party’s effective tally in the House has risen to 100, following support from Sangli parliamentarian Vishal Patil, strengthening the Opposition bloc’s position with 236 members. Gandhi emphasized that Parliamentary Committees must no longer be ignored, bypassed, or stifled.
Gandhi reminded the Congress lawmakers of their duties amid signs of heightened confrontation between the government and the Opposition in the 18th Lok Sabha. “In this election, the people have voted decisively to reject the politics of divisiveness and authoritarianism,” she noted. She further stressed the importance of preventing any attempts to increase polarization and erosion of secular and democratic values enshrined in the Constitution.
Reflecting on the resilience demonstrated by the Congress in the elections, Gandhi praised party chief Mallikarjun Kharge for his leadership. “We were up against a mighty and malevolent machine that was doing its utmost to destroy us. It tried to cripple us financially. It carried out a campaign against us and our leaders that was full of lies and defamation. Many wrote our obituaries! But under the determined leadership of Kharge Ji, we persevered,” she said.
Gandhi’s address marks a significant moment as the Congress party positions itself to challenge the NDA’s dominance and push for a more balanced and accountable parliamentary process in the coming term.
