The INDIA alliance inspite of gaining numbers has failed to get majority, thought it has not outright conceded defeat and has instead vowed to continue fighting.

Following the meeting of the alliance's leaders, INDIA bloc's Chairperson Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said they will take "will take appropriate steps at the appropriate time".

Issuing the joint statement on behalf of the INDIA bloc's constituent parties, Kharge said, "We will take appropriate steps at the appropriate time to realise the people's desire not to be ruled by the BJP govt. This is our decision that whatever promises we have made to the people, we will keep it up."

Even as the INDIA bloc performed better than expected and defied pollsters' predictions, it fell short of the majority-mark of 272 as it could only secure 234 seats. On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has crossed the majority-mark with 292 seats and is expected to stake claim to form the government on Friday and the swearing-in of the third Narendra Modi ministry is expected on the day after.

Following the two-hour-long meeting of the INDIA bloc's leaders, Kharge said the Lok Sabha election results are a "political and moral defeat" of Modi.