Cong will not be found wanting: Sonia tells Opposition leaders to forge unity for 2024 polls

It is time to rise above political compulsions to realise the 'ultimate goal' of winning the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Congress president Sonia Gandhi told top Opposition leaders on Friday as she pitched for a broad unity of the anti-BJP forces.

The virtual meeting -- one of the biggest gatherings of Opposition leaders in recent times -- was attended by NCP's Sharad Pawar, TMC's Mamata Banerjee, Shiv Sena's Uddhav Thackeray and DMK's M K Stalin among others.

The Congress will not be found wanting while working towards this goal, Sonia said at a virtual meeting of the leaders of 19 Opposition parties.

She said the ultimate goal is the 2024 Lok Sabha election for which the Opposition has to begin to plan systematically with the single-minded objective of giving a government to our country that believes in the values of the freedom movement and in the principles and provisions of Constitution.

Noting that the 75th anniversary of the country's independence is indeed the most appropriate occasion "to reaffirm our individual and collective resolve", Sonia assured the Opposition leaders, saying "the Indian National Congress will not be found wanting".