Conscious decision by Congress to contest on lesser seats to keep Oppn together: Kharge

New Delhi: The Congress has consciously contested on a lesser number of seats in this Lok Sabha election as part of a strategy to keep the INDIA bloc together and defeat the BJP, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has said.

In an interview with PTI, he said this does not exhibit “under-confidence” on the part of the party as the “compromise was struck to ensure victory of the united opposition while giving space to other parties which have strengths in different parts of the country”.

Kharge also termed Priyanka Gandhi Vadra an “asset” and a star campaigner and justified her decision to not contest the elections.

Asked which seat Rahul Gandhi should leave, in case he wins both Wayanad and Rae Bareli, Kharge said it is his personal choice.

“We have taken a conscious decision to contest on a lesser number of seats. This is being done to keep the alliance partners together and that’s why we have made this compromise,” he told PTI.

Kharge said the Congress had formed a committee to forge coalitions in every state after holding consultations with other like-minded parties.

“The party high command approved this strategy. We have held consultations in every state,” he said.

The Congress is contesting 328 seats, its lowest-ever, leaving more than 200 seats for the other opposition parties in the INDIA bloc. On many alliance partners fighting against each other in states like Kerala, Bengal, and Punjab, he said, “There is no disunity in fighting against the central government. In states, we are fighting as both INDIA parties are key in some states, otherwise it will benefit the BJP.”

The Congress chief said every state has a different alliance, “but we are all fighting against the BJP’s and Modi ji’s ideology.”

“The parties have taken a well-thought out line which is in the interest of the nation,” he asserted.

To a question that opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav and Arvind Kejriwal are not even united in predicting the NDA numbers, he said, every leader has a different assessment.