New Delhi [India], June 8 : Following the INDIA bloc meeting held in the national capital on Monday, Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal said that key issues affecting the public, including unemployment, rising prices, and concerns related to National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) exams, were discussed in detail.
"Everything went on well. That is why everybody was at the press conference. The next meeting will be in Hyderabad. Our concern is the people's distress. The entire meeting has discussed unemployment, price rise, and NEET-CBSE exam leaks. These are the issues of the people. There is a unanimity on these things. We will fight it out," he said.
He added, "They (BJP) can buy some MPs or MLAs, but they cannot buy the people of this country. In 2024, we also witnessed this."
The meeting, held at the Constitution Club of India, witnessed the participation of leaders from 23 political parties, who gathered to deliberate on the alliance's national strategy and formulate a coordinated response to prevailing political and economic challenges.
The high-level meeting saw the presence of several senior leaders from across the opposition spectrum. The Congress delegation included party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, reflecting the party's strong representation at the gathering.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) was present through Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, while Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav also marked their presence to reinforce the alliance's united front.
Prominent regional leaders such as National Conference's (NC) Omar Abdullah, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) leader Supriya Sule participated in the discussions, contributing to the collective deliberations.
The Left parties were represented by D Raja (CPI) and John Brittas (CPI-M). The meeting also saw the presence of former Congress leader Kapil Sibal and representatives from regional allies such as MDMK and VCK.
While the majority of the leadership gathered in person, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren joined the deliberations virtually, ensuring their party's active participation in the strategic discussions.