‘We must take this fight to the streets’: Kharge to Congress district chiefs

Issuing a clarion call to the party's district unit chiefs to work unitedly with a long-term strategy to win state elections, president Mallikarjun Kharge on 27 March, Thursday, asserted that the Congress' ideology is strong — but it cannot be implemented in the country without coming to power.

Addressing the first of three scheduled meetings of district Congress presidents, Kharge said that in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, INDIA bloc parties fought unitedly against the BJP and its allies, restricting them to 240 seats.

Had the Congress got 20-30 seats more, an alternative government would have been formed, he said.

"Our 'Save the Constitution' campaign exposed the BJP–RSS' secret desire to change the Constitution. Today, the BJP is short of a majority and dependent on two allies. A prime minister who arrogantly claimed (they would win) 400 seats was dealt a significant blow by us," Kharge told the DCC chiefs from 13 states and three Union territories at Indira Bhawan in Delhi.

"The Congress Party secured almost 100 seats. If we had worked harder, we could have gained 20–30 more seats. A gain of such seats could have led to the formation of an alternative government in the country. Had we achieved this, we could have halted the systematic assault on our independent institutions, democracy and the Constitution," Kharge said.

He said the Congress' battle against the BJP and the RSS continues both inside and outside Parliament. "We must take this fight to the streets," the Congress chief added.

Asserting that the district presidents' role was crucial, Kharge said they are not just messengers, but the generals of the Congress Party, leading from the front on the ground.

"Therefore, Rahul Gandhi-ji and I recognised the need for direct communication with you," he said in the presence of Gandhi and Congress general secretary in-charge (organisation) K.C. Venugopal.

It is essential to appoint the most capable, committed and hardworking individuals to key positions rather than making selections based on the recommendations of local leaders, he said.

Kharge reiterated the Congress' demand for a caste census to "prove our point and restore social justice".

"In foreign affairs, countries like the USA are not only insulting our citizens, but also embarrassing us by imposing counter-tariffs. Meanwhile, the BJP governments at the Centre and in the states remain focused on creating communal disharmony to divert public attention," he alleged.

These communal issues are deliberately manufactured in the media to benefit the BJP rather than people, Kharge said.

"Most importantly, we must remember to work in unity with a long-term strategy to win elections at the state level. Our ideology is strong, but without power, we cannot implement it," he said.

Noting that elections will be held in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu in 2026, Kharge said it is the DCCs' responsibility to ensure the victory of every candidate in their district.

"We will work together, but you are our first line of defence on the ground. Your inputs will be crucial in planning our strategy, and we will take them into account," he said.

Kharge said another critical area that requires attention is voters' list management.

"You must have noticed the increasing discrepancies in voter lists, particularly in Maharashtra. We have formed the EAGLE team to deal with this problem. It is constantly monitoring the activities of the Election Commission," he said.