NEW DELHI: The Congress on Wednesday wished BJP PM-elect Narenda Modi and his incoming team all the best, a day after President Pranab Mukherjee had invited him to form the next government.
In fact, it is for the first-time, that the Congress has formally congratulated Modi on his victory. Even though outgoing PM Manmohan Singh had called up Modi soon after the BJP triumph to offer his congrats, Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi was yet to do so. “We and the nation are there and will be there each day of our Opposition years to seek accountability constructively and to seek a report card constructively,” Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said.
Referring to Modi’s speech on Tuesday, Singhvi said Modi had acknowledged some or more than some good deeds, good policies, good schemes, good decisions and good initiatives undertaken by the previous government or by the erstwhile governments. “We believe that a genuine real good is done if words and promises are translated into action. Then it is the real good of India that we celebrate and that is why we place on record our good wishes,” the spokesperson said.
Maintaining that good governance must have continuity, Singhvi expressed the hope that the several path-breaking schemes and initiatives undertaken by the UPA-I&II as also the several rights-based schemes willneither be closed nor significantly curtailed in any manner. On the Congress’ chances in securing the post of Leader of Opposition, Singhvi said the LS Speaker should have no problems in awarding the LoP to the Congress as it had finished with the second largest number of seats.