Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday claimed that the INDIA bloc represents 60 per cent of the Indian population and asserted that if it fights the Lok Sabha polls unitedly, it would be impossible for the BJP to win.
Addressing a joint press conference after the two-day brainstorming here on crystallising the alliance's structure, Gandhi said two "very powerful steps" were taken at the meeting to ensure that the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) defeats the BJP.
"The first step is a coordination committee and committees under that committee and the second step is a decision that we will expedite all seat sharing discussions and decisions and make them happen as soon as possible," the former Congress chief said.
The most important thing to understand is that this stage, which has various parties, represents 60 per cent of the Indian population, he said.
"If the parties on this stage unite, it is impossible for the BJP to win an election. So, the task before us is to come together in the most efficient way possible and two big steps have been taken in that regard," Gandhi said.
In his remarks, Gandhi also raised the issue of fresh allegations against the Adani Group.
Billionaire Gautam Adani's group was on Thursday hit by allegations that it used family associates to secretly invest hundreds of millions of dollars through "opaque" Mauritius-based investment funds to fuel a spectacular rise in group stocks. The conglomerate has vehemently denied the charge.
In his remarks at the joint presser, Gandhi said, "I did a press conference and the nexus between the prime minister and a particular businessman is there for every single person to see."
"I mentioned in my press conference that the G20 is taking place and it is very important for India's credibility that the PM (Narendra Modi) makes his position very clear and begins an inquiry as to what has happened with regard to Mr. Adani," he said.
"The PM and the BJP are a nexus of corruption," Gandhi alleged and added that this would be the first thing that the INDIA bloc was going to demonstrate and prove.
The idea behind Prime Minister Modi's government is to extract money from the poor people of the country and transfer it to a limited few, he alleged.
The INDIA bloc is going to put together a clear set of ideas that will once again involve the poor, the farmers and workers, in the progress of this country, the Congress leader asserted.
"I am confident that the INDIA alliance will easily defeat the BJP," he said.
Hailing opposition unity, Gandhi said the real work in this alliance is the relationships that are forged between the leaders of the alliance.
"I can say with confidence that these two meetings have done a lot for building a rapport among the leaders and ensuring that all of us work together as one. I can see that in the way we are approaching things," he said.
Noting that there are differences within the alliance, Gandhi said he was extremely impressed with the way those differences were minimised and ironed out.
Alleging that the media was enchained under the current government, Gandhi said the INDIA bloc was working to "free them from the chains".
Gandhi also talked about his recent visit to Ladakh and his trip to the Pangong Tso lake there.
"I had detailed discussions, probably the most detailed discussions that any politician outside Ladakh has had with the people of Ladakh. The shepherds of the Pangong lake area, the leaders and the common people who live around the lake categorically told me that the prime minister is lying about the fact that the Chinese have not taken Indian land," he said.
"Every single person in Ladakh knows that the people of India and the people of Ladakh have been betrayed by the government of India," he said. There is "clearly an accommodation that has happened between the government and the Chinese," Gandhi alleged.
"There is clearly a change on the borders. Our shepherds themselves told us that they are not being allowed into the areas, where they were allowed (earlier). So, this is known to everybody, unfortunately our press doesn't raise these issues, but, these are issues of national importance, of national security and it is extremely shameful, what has happened in Ladakh," he said.
Amid speculation of early polls and the government setting up a panel to explore the possibility of 'one nation, one election', leaders from 28 opposition parties took crucial decisions at their conclave here, including setting up a 14-member coordination committee which will be the top decision-making body of the alliance and start work on seat sharing.
-With PTI Input
