Congress President and LoP Rajya Sabha, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, Chairperson CPP, Smt. Sonia Gandhi, former Congress President Shri Rahul Gandhi, and General Secretary (Communications), Shri Jairam Ramesh address media at the AICC Hdqrs on June 4, 2024.

While addressing the journalists, Shri Jairam Ramesh said-‘Namaskar’ friends, all of you are welcome to today’s special press conference. First, Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge ji will address you and after that, our former President Rahul ji will talk to you. The Congress Parliamentary Party President Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji is also present among us. I welcome her as well.

Shri Mallikarjun Kharge said- Respected Madam Sonia Gandhi Ji, Rahul Gandhi Ji, Priyanka Gandhi Ji and all the leaders of our Party sitting on this stage. Today, the election results have come. First of all, I would say that this result is the result of the people and this is the victory of the people and the victory of democracy. We were saying this from the beginning that this fight is of Modi versus the public, of the people. So, we humbly accept the peoples’ mandate of the 18th Lok Sabha elections.

This time, the public did not give absolute majority to any single party. Especially the ruling party BJP asked for votes in the name of one person, one face. Now it is clear that this mandate has gone against Modi ji. This is his political and moral defeat. This is a big defeat for the person who used to ask for votes everywhere repeatedly in his own name and from the moral point of view, this is a huge loss for him.

You know that the Congress Party and our INDIA Alliance fought the elections in a very unfavorable environment. The government machinery created obstacles at every step, from freezing bank accounts to running campaigns against various leaders. Yet the Congress Party’s campaign was positive from the beginning to the end. We went before the public by making issues like inflation, unemployment, the plight of farmers and laborers and the misuse of constitutional institutions as the central issues. A large number of people joined us on these issues, supported us, the kind of campaign the Prime Minister did will be remembered for a long time in history. The public understood the lies that Modi Ji spread about the Congress Manifesto. I would like to say on this occasion that meeting lakhs of people during both the yatras of Shri Rahul Gandhi Ji –‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ and ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’, listening to the problems of the people and finding solutions to those problems later became the basis of our campaign.

We named it ‘Paanch Nyay, Pachees Guarantee’ and made a guarantee card on its basis. Our workers went door-to-door with it and contacted people. Apart from this, another important thing is the arrogance of the BJP leadership. They gradually tried to capture all constitutional institutions illegally, then started using them against the opposition party. Those who got suppressed were brought to their side, whoever did not get suppressed, either their party was broken or they were put in jail. People were convinced that if Modi Ji got another chance, the next attack would be directly on the Constitution and on democracy. It is a matter of happiness that BJP will not be able to succeed in this conspiracy now.

On this occasion, I would like to especially thank CPP Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi, our popular leader Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and they campaigned day and night throughout the country and helped us a lot in getting to a strong position and I would say that because of them we got a huge encouragement in the country and the situation that we have today is because of them and our crores of workers in the country also supported us, that is why I thank them immensely. Finally, I thank all the colleagues and well-wishers of the INDIA Alliance. Everyone came together in one voice. Everyone campaigned together and helped each other. Our thousands and lakhs of workers worked in perfect coordination, thank you all.

Our fight has not reached its conclusion yet. In the coming days, we all will have to keep fighting for the rights of the people, for the protection of the Constitution, for the protection of democracy, for the progress of the country, for security on the borders. We will have to ensure that the Parliament runs smoothly, the issues of the opposition get priority, they are debated in the Parliament... The coming days will be crucial. We will talk to you whenever we get a chance.

My thanks to all of you for we got your immense support and even in the elections, you supported us wherever you could. So, I thank all of you and say ‘Namaskar’ to everyone.

Shri Rahul Gandhi said - Kharge Ji, you said the right thing, you helped us to the extent you could. This election was not fought against just one political party, by the INDIA Alliance and Congress Party; we fought this election against BJP, a political party, the institutions of India, the entire governance structure of India, intelligence agencies, CBI, ED, half of the judiciary. Because all these institutions were captured, threatened and intimidated by Narendra Modi and Amit Shah.

I keep talking about the press. I have told you many times that you should also have a role and many people played that role; many people did it openly, many people did it secretly and we know where your emotions were.

The fight was to save the Constitution, and if I tell you the truth, it was already in my mind, when they froze our bank accounts, when they put the Chief Ministers in jail, when they broke the parties. I had it in my mind that the people of India will stand together and fight for their Constitution and this proved to be true. I had faith and I want to thank the people of India, the partners of INDIA Alliance, all our leaders of the Congress Party and the brave workers from the bottom of my heart, you have taken the first and the biggest step to save the Constitution.

The Congress Party, all the leaders of the Congress Party did two-three things in this election. First of all, we respected the partners of the India Alliance, we took along their wishes and you must have seen that wherever the Alliance fought, we fought unitedly.

Secondly, the Congress Party has given a new vision to India with clarity. The INDIA Alliance has given a pro-poor vision and a pro-production vision to India. Our performance, the performance of the INDIA Alliance, is based on the Constitution... the BJP’s attack on reservation, poverty... you must have seen Adani’s stock, see his stock... so it is a very interesting thing, the public is directly co-relating Adani with Modi. Modi loses, the stock market says that if Modi is defeated, Adani is also gone; meaning there is a direct relationship, there is a relationship of corruption and the country has clearly told Narendra Modi that we don’t want you and this is the main thing that this election has said.

The country has unanimously and clearly stated-we do not want Mr. Narendra Modi and Mr. Amit Shah to be involved in the running of this country. We do not like the way they have run this country; we do not appreciate the way they have attacked the Constitution; we do not appreciate the way they have run this country for the last 10 years. So, that is a huge message to Mr. Narendra Modi.

I would like to thank everybody who has participated in this election. I am extremely proud of the people of India. I am extremely proud of the people who have resisted this onslaught on the Constitution.

Finally, let me tell you, the work of saving the Constitution has been done by the poorest people of India, the workers, the farmers, the Dalits, the tribals, the backwards… These people have saved this Constitution, this Constitution is the voice of the country. Many people did not save it, they remained silent. But the poorest people of India, the weakest people stood up and saved this Constitution. I want to thank them, I want to tell them that the Congress Party stands with you, we will fulfill the promises we made to you. Caste Census, ‘Mahalakshmi’… these are our promises.

On a question that have you decided to sit in the Opposition or there are chances of government formation by the INDIA alliance, Shri Rahul Gandhi said- As we have said earlier, we are going to have a meeting with our partners, the INDIA Alliance partners… I believe that meeting is tomorrow and these questions will be raised there and there will be answers there. We respect our Alliance partners and we are not going to make statements in the press without asking them… their opinion.

On another question that if you people sit in the opposition and do not take the initiative to form the government, then how will you work to give the poor their rights? Shri Rahul Gandhi said- You are asking the same question in a different way. Tomorrow it will be decided, there is a meeting of INDIA Alliance, tomorrow our Alliance will decide. There is a very fine line, so whatever INDIA Alliance decides, we will take action on that.

On another question that you said that morally Narendra Modi should not remain the Prime Minister, will there be factionalism in BJP regarding Narendra Modi? Shri Mallikarjun Kharge said- Look, Rahul Gandhi has just clarified it to you. Till we talk to our Alliance partners and the new partners who are going to join us, we will talk to them and see how we can come in majority. If I tell the whole strategy here, then Modi ji will get alert.

On another question, which seat will you stay on, Rae Bareli or Wayanad? Shri Rahul Gandhi said - I have won from both the seats and I want to thank the voters of Rae Bareli and Wayanad from the bottom of my heart. Now I have to decide which seat I will stay on. I will ask around a bit and then decide. I cannot stay on both seats, but I have not decided yet.

On another question that after this mandate, do you want to strengthen the Party by staying in opposition or do you want to form the government? Shri Rahul Gandhi said- Look, we are part of a coalition, okay. There is Congress Party, there are other parties and we have not yet discussed with them. We had told them, we had told INDIA Partners that after the elections, we will have a meeting on the 5th and in that meeting we will decide about this question. So really, we do not have the answer to this question today, we will have it tomorrow.

On another question that BJP had said that Rahul Gandhi made his PA contest the election in Amethi, what will you say, Shri Rahul Gandhi said- No, no. Look, BJP does not respect people, does not talk politely. But Kishori Lal Sharma ji has been working for the Congress Party in Amethi for 40 years and he has a relationship with the people of Amethi. Perhaps the BJP people did not understand that Kishori Lal Sharma ji is a person very closely connected to Amethi and hence his victory was certain and I want to congratulate him that he won well and saying about him that he is a PA, a steno... this is absolutely wrong, this is offensive, this should not be said.

Look, I want to say to the people of UP, that there is no one politically wiser than you... I mean the people of UP have done wonders. They have done wonders, many states have done wonders, but UP has protected the Constitution by understanding the politics of India, understanding the threat to the Constitution and I want to thank all the states, but I want to say especially to Uttar Pradesh that you supported the Congress Party, the INDIA Alliance. Thank you very much and I want to say one more thing about UP, my sister Priyanka Gandhi also has a hand in this, who is hiding behind here.