Last chance to save democracy, Constitution from dictatorship: Congress

After the Election Commission announced the Lok Sabha election schedule on Saturday (March 16), Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said this was “perhaps the last chance to save democracy and our Constitution from dictatorship”.

The Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases beginning from April 19, and the votes will be counted on June 4, according to the schedule announced by the Election Commission.

“Door of justice”

Kharge asserted that the people of the country will fight against hatred, unemployment, and price rise together. “The 2024 Lok Sabha elections will open the ‘door of nyay (justice)’ for India. This would be perhaps the last chance to save democracy and our Constitution from dictatorship,” he added.

“‘We the people of India’ will together fight against hatred, loot, unemployment, price rise and atrocities. ‘Haath badlega halaat’ (the Hand will change the situation),” Kharge posted on X, referring to the Congress’s poll symbol.

“Milestone election”

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said at a press conference that these “milestone” elections are happening under “a cloud of scams” of electoral bonds, jailing, suspension, and raiding of opposition parties and politicians and freezing of funds of the primary national opposition party, which is “unprecedented”.

“It is a milestone election because this election will decide whether our democracy will be protected or not, whether Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution will be protected or one man’s whims and fancies will decide the direction and future of our democracy. It is a very crucial election,” Khera told reporters.

“Focus on key issues”

He alleged that the BJP has reduced the constitutional status of the Election Commission and noted that the Congress gave a dissenting note on the appointment of the election commissioners.

“We have been raising issues that matter to farmers, youths, and women, especially to the unemployed youth, through the two yatras that Rahul Gandhi undertook. We have underlined the need for India’s politics to focus on these issues. People have been waiting for this election.

“People want to elect a party that thinks of the youth. The promise of giving 30 lakh jobs to the youths, the promise of putting an end to paper leaks and the promise of tough laws to deal with this. These are promises that have changed the way politics need to be done in the country and no political party can afford not to focus on these issues,” he asserted.

“Rid of rhetoric”

Khera also said that 18 million new voters would be voting this time and they would be “remembering and thanking Rajiv Gandhi who gave voting rights to the youth”.

“BJP’s slogan is for the BJP’s benefit only. Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge gave guarantees for the country and its people. The Congress’s guarantees, slogans, and narrative are for the people and not for themselves,” he asserted.

He claimed that in the next two months, the country would be rid of the “rhetoric” by the BJP and the prime minister.

Khera also said that for the past 10 months, opposition parties have been struggling to meet the Election Commission, and the poll body should answer why it is not finding time to address their concerns.

(With agency inputs)