The INDIA bloc on Wednesday opted to wait and watch the developments in the NDA camp, preferring to continue the fight against the “fascist rule of the BJP” for now rather than throw its hat in the ring.

Meeting in the capital for the first time after the election results put Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the unfamiliar and uncomfortable position of dependency on his pre-poll allies, the INDIA grouping decided that appropriate steps would be taken at the appropriate time.

For now, the grouping has accepted the reality that the NDA, as a pre-poll alliance, has the numbers to be invited by the President and that the INDIA bloc is not in a position to stake claim. And that any attempt to stitch up a ragtag coalition could be counter-productive.

Reading out the resolution adopted at the meeting, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said: “The constituents of INDIA bloc thank the people of India for the overwhelming support received by our alliance. The people’s mandate has given (a) befitting reply to the BJP and their politics of hate, corruption and deprivation.

“This is a mandate in defence of the Constitution of India and against price rise, unemployment and crony capitalism, and also to save democracy. The INDIA bloc will continue to fight against the fascist rule of the BJP led by Modi. We will take appropriate steps at the appropriate time to realise the people’s desire not to be ruled by the BJP’s government and this is our decision.”

Elaborating on this, P.K. Kunhalikutty of the Indian Union Muslim League said: “They don’t have a comfortable majority…. INDIA alliance will wait for the appropriate time. That is what we have decided.”

For the time being, the INDIA combine appears to see wisdom in making use of the Opposition space that has opened up to take the BJP on within Parliament and outside, hoping the party will trip in the process of running a coalition government.

Although the previous two Modi governments at the Centre too were coalitions, the BJP was not dependent on the allies for survival — as it is now.

Earlier, in his opening remarks, Kharge did not reveal the Congress thinking on what the INDIA bloc’s strategy should be.

He said the grouping welcomed any party “which shares its fundamental commitment to the values enshrined in the Preamble of our Constitution and to its many provisions for economic, social and political justice”.

On Tuesday, soon after the results made it clear that the BJP would not get to the halfway mark on its own but would cross it with its pre-poll allies, Kharge had indicated a preference to sit in the Opposition and strengthen that space inside Parliament.

He said the mandate was decisively against Modi and “the substance and style of his politics”.

Kharge added that the results represented a huge political loss for Modi, and alleged that the Prime Minister was “determined to subvert the will of the people”.