Congress Dubs Poll Debacle As ‘Temporary Setback’, Kharge To Chair ‘Informal’ Oppn Meet On Dec 6

The Congress party, despite facing a setback in the recent assembly polls, asserted its resolve as it strategises for the 2024 Lok Sabha election, also emphasising active participation in the Winter Session of Parliament.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh addresses a press conference, in New Delhi, Monday, Dec. 4, 2023. ( Image Source :PTI )

The Congress party, in the aftermath of the assembly election in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan, expressed disappointment over the results but affirmed its commitment to rebound and strengthen in preparation for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. After a meeting of the party's parliamentary strategy group, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh addressed the media, acknowledging the electoral setback but emphasising the party's unwavering resolve.

"The results in the Assembly elections are certainly disappointing, but we are not dis-spirited and certainly not dejected. Our resolve is strong. We accept the verdict. It fell far below our expectations, and we are analysing these results in detail. But our resolve remains undiminished. We will fight even harder. This is a temporary setback, but it only strengthens our resolve," Ramesh stated, as quoted by news agency PTI.

Despite the setback, the Congress party aims to participate actively in the Winter Session of Parliament. Ramesh shared insights into the party's agenda, saying, "We will participate in the discussions on key bills that the government introduces during the Winter Session of Parliament and raise our concerns."

Looking ahead, Ramesh informed about the "informal" meeting of like-minded political parties scheduled for December 6, called by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge saying "We will fight the Lok Sabha polls strongly and start preparing for it".

Regarding the analysis of the election results, Ramesh commented, "We will certainly hold discussions on the poll results and delve into the reasons for this kind of result. We will not just look behind but look forward too, and we are preparing for the (2024) Lok Sabha election."

Parliament Winter Session: Congress To Oppose Bills Replacing IPC, CrPC, Evidence Act 

He highlighted the importance of addressing key issues during the Winter Session, emphasising the party's stance on certain bills. Describing three bills seeking to replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), and Evidence Act as "dangerous ones", he said the Congress will oppose those strongly in Parliament, PTI reported.

Ramesh concluded by underlining the party's commitment to its role in governance, stating, "We will certainly oppose these three bills as also the CEC Bill. Our opposition is based on substantive grounds."

The meeting, convened by Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, included discussions on economic challenges, rising inflation, unemployment, environmental issues, regional inequalities, ethnic strife in Manipur, and foreign policy challenges. The party leaders presented a united front, determined to address these concerns during the Winter Session.