In a bid to stop Narendra Modi’s election juggernaut, the Congress on Friday appealed to all political and social forces to unite, to defeat the polarising ideologies that militate against the core values of Indian nationhood and its constitutional democracy.

In a resolution adopted at a day-long meeting of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) here on Friday, the party spoke of safeguarding and nurturing secular ethos of the country. “The Congress party will continue to champion this liberal, secular vision of India, and seeks the support of all like-minded political and social forces to come together in this pursuit at this critical juncture,” the resolution said. 

Addressing the meeting, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the BJP and Modi, saying that they believed in lighting fires of communal hatred and turning people against one another.

Launching a no-holds-barred attack on the BJP, Rahul said the Opposition, which has been campaigning for a “Congress-free India,” will never succeed as “the Congress is an idea that cannot be eliminated”.

In her opening remarks, the Congress president said the upcoming elections will see a sharp contest “between conflicting ideologies, between competing interpretations of the past and between clashing visions of the future”.

The UPA has seen desertions by allies following differences over economic and foreign policies. Big parties to quit the alliance were the Trinamool Congress and the DMK. The Congress has been looking for allies in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand and  Maharashtra.