Five-member National Alliance Committee to facilitate seat sharing: Kharge at CWC meet

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge expressed concern about the "undermining of democracy" and the passing of significant bills in the Lok Sabha without proper discussion and debate. He underscored that a "conspiracy" is being hatched to transform Parliament into a platform for the ruling BJP, citing the unfortunate suspension of 143 MPs during the current parliamentary winter session.

Kharge was addressing a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party's top decision-making body, in Delhi on Thursday. He also informed CWC that a five-member National Alliance Committee (NAC) has been formed to facilitate discussions on seat-sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

This decision followed discussions with alliance partners after the fourth meeting of the INDIA bloc on 19 December, where 28 opposition parties were in attendance. "The fourth meeting of the INDIA alliance was held on 19 December, 2023. At the meeting, it was unanimously agreed that the seat-sharing process must start immediately. To facilitate this, a five-member National Alliance Committee has been established to engage with various parties in different states, as needed," said Kharge.

The government's attempts to exert control over institutions such as the Election Commission, Kharge said, have put the Constitution, Parliament, and democracy at risk.

Stressing that the Congress must consistently address fundamental issues sidelined by the government, Kharge asserted the need to expose the gap between PM Modi's claims and ground realities, as well as his perceived hate campaigns and polarising politics.

He called for the formulation of robust strategies for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections based on these issues, expressing full confidence in achieving victory in the quest for justice.

Regarding Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra 2.0, Kharge mentioned that there have been demands for Rahul to commence the Yatra from east to west, but the final decision rests with him.

During his opening speech at the CWC meet, which focused on poll preparedness, Kharge also revealed that the issue of electronic voting machines (EVMs) was deliberated at the INDIA bloc meeting.

He urged Congress leaders and activists to raise awareness about the 'Donate for Desh' campaign while criticising the Modi government for what he said was an erosion of democracy.