Mumbai: The Congress-led Opposition's INDIA alliance held a mega rally on March 17, 2024, in Mumbai's Shivaji Park. Among those who attended were Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, Shri Rahul Gandhi, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Shri M.K Stalin, Shiv Sena (UBT) President Shri Uddhav Thackeray, NCP (SP) President Shri Sharad Pawar, RJD leader and former Bihar deputy Chief Minister Shri Tejashwi Yadav and Samajwadi Party (SP) President Shri Akhilesh Yadav, Aam Aadmi Party leader Shri Saurabh Bharadwaj, National Conference leader Shri Farooq Abdullah, CPI General Secretary Shri Dipankar Bhattacharya, Jharkhand Chief Minister Shri Champai Soren, and former CM Shri Hemant Soren's wife Smt. Kalpana Soren.

In a show of strength, INDIA bloc leaders gathered for the massive rally. Meanwhile, the Election Commission announced General Assmembly-2024 and Assemblies election-2024 dates. Voting for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls will be held in seven phases from April 19 to June 1.The polling in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim will be held on April 19, and in Andhra Pradesh on May 13. Voting in the Odisha assembly will be conducted in four phases on May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.The leaders urged people to exercise their franchise cautiously saying a third term for Shri Modi would ensure that the upcoming Lok Sabha polls would be the last elections in the country. They said that the BJP wanted over 400 seats to change the Constitution.

Addressing the mammoth rally after the successful conclusion of the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ here today, Shri Gandhi said that he had felt the ‘Soul of India’ after his over ten-thousand-kilometre journey across the length and breadth of the country. He said, while he could feel the pain of the people everywhere, at the same time, he realized India is not a place of hatred as the Modi regime is trying to make it, but the country of love, affection and respect. Shri Rahul Gandhi said that their fight was not against a party or one man, but against a shakti (power). “People think we are fighting against one party or one man — Prime Minister Modi. No, we are not. Our fight is against a shakti. Like someone said, this king’s (Mr. Modi) soul is in EVM, true. Even in every institution, ED, CBI, and I-T,” he said.

Launching a fierce criticism against the Narendra Modi-led BJP government, Congress leader Shri Rahul Gandhi said that Shri Modi could not win the Lok Sabha elections without electronic voting machines (EVMs), Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Income Tax department. We asked the Election Commission to count the VVPAT also. But our demand hasn’t been accepted,” Shri Gandhi said.

Shri Gandhi pointed out political manoeuvres within parties such as the Shiv Sena and the NCP, hinting at coercion into alliances. “Do you think the Shiv Sena and the NCP people split and joined the ruling alliance just like that? Opposition leaders are threatened to join the BJP. They are held by the neck and forced to join the party,” he said.

Referring to the INDIA alliance, Shri Gandhi pointed out that the leaders represented the entire country. “Unlike Modi’s meeting,” he said – “where it is a one man show, the INDIA alliance presents a diverse and united picture of the entire country.” He said that in Modi’s meetings, leaders like Gadkari are sidelined so that they do not come in the photo frame.

Addressing the mammoth rally, Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge warned that this would be the last election if Modi is not defeated. He observed that the way Modi was behaving, he was taking the country towards dictatorship. He pointed out - Modi does not even talk about his party the BJP, but talks only of and about himself. Modi believes that India became independent in 2014 and his counting also begins from 2014 only, Kharge Ji remarked, while taking a jibe at the Prime Minister.

He said that if Modi is not defeated now, it will be the return to ‘Manuvad’ and same slavery and back to pre-1947 days, when nobody had any rights. The Congress President said - while the INDIA alliance is working for the entire country and the common people, Modi’s guarantees were for a select few super rich people. He added that under Modi’s regime the rich were getting richer and the poor getting poorer.

Shri Kharge reiterated the five commitments for justice of participation, for farmers, for youth, for workers and for women followed by twenty-five guarantees, which will be implemented once the INDIA government is formed at the centre.

The Congress President congratulated Shri Rahul Gandhi for carrying out the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ and ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ in which he travelled a distance of over ten thousand kilometers, about half of it on foot, and met millions of people across the country.

Congress President also thanked the INDIA leadership and promised that together they all will work for the welfare of the common man of the country and defeat the BJP and Modi. The city holds a historical significance as a place where Mahatma Gandhi gave a call of Quit India movement in 1942. Now it’s time to say, “Quit BJP” - Nationalist Congress Party (SP) supremo Shri Sharad Pawar said. “The current state of India demands a change. Those who deceived our citizens with false promises under various schemes to tribals, youth, farmers and poor, but failed to deliver, must be weeded out of power. To oust them, we must unite and fight together,” the Maratha strongman said.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Shri M.K. Stalin described Shri Gandhi as the future hope of India. “Shri Modi calls INDIA bloc corrupt, but the electoral bonds scheme proved that the BJP, which collected `8,000 crores through bonds, is corrupt. Electoral bonds is the ‘white collar corruption’ of the ruling BJP and our alliance will form a secular, federal and inclusive government at the Centre,” he said.

Speaking at the rally, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Shri Tejashwi Yadav said that the Prime Minister was the manufacturer, wholesaler and distributor of lies and false promises. “In Maharashtra, they only took legislators, but in Bihar they hijacked my uncle (Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar). I challenge PM Modi to give guarantee of my chacha (uncle) first that he won’t turn again,” said Bihar’s former Deputy Chief Minister.

Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) Chief and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s grandson Prakash Ambedkar attended the rally but did not categorically spell out if he was a part of the opposition alliance. “Whether together or alone, we need to fight. Bengal has gone separate ways. Here, there are attempts to come together,” he said, referring to Trinamool Congress’ plan to go solo in West Bengal in the general elections.

Peoples Democratic Party Chief Smt. Mehbooba Mufti took a dig at the BJP and said, “People of the ruling party are scared of the surname ‘Gandhi’ as history has seen all the Gandhis from Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi to Rajiv Gandhi sacrificing for this country. He has Gandhi in his name and that is the reason the BJP is scared of him. Today, I can see people with different thoughts and ideas here. This is ‘India.’ The election is all set to begin; the public has the most powerful weapon of the Constitution and that is the ‘vote’.”

Smt. Kalpana Soren, wife of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said that her husband was jailed as part of "a conspiracy". Congress Party’s General Secretary Smt. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Telangana Chief Minister Shri A. Revanth Reddy, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Shri D.K. Shivakumar, Rajasthan former Chief Minister Shri Ashok Gehlot and other INDIA bloc leaders were present.