Oppn plan: State tie-ups now, national pact later
NEWDELHI: The gathering of Opposition leaders in Bengaluru on Wednesday to celebrate the swearing-in of the Janata Dal (Secular)-Congress government quickly turned into a platform to discuss plans for 2019. Across the political spectrum in the nonBharatiya Janata Party camp, the broad agreement is to focus on state-specific, pre-poll pacts and sew up strategies against the BJP as a precursor to a post-poll national alliance.
The approach, as detailed by several leaders present in Bengaluru, will also obviate the need to discuss sticky issues — such as the identity of a consensus prime ministerial candidate.
Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi summed up the thinking behind the proposed strategy. “Prevention of split of votes holds the key for success. In triangular contests, the BJP has won only because of division of votes. Submergence of egos, creation of a mega coordination committee with sub-committees for micro-management should be formed,” he said.
Both Bahujan Samaj Party head Mayawati and Trinamool Congress chief Banerjee are believed to harbour prime ministerial ambitions.
Ahead of the Karnataka polls, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said he could be a candidate for the position if his party had enough seats in the Lok Sabha.
“We spoke about how Karnataka has shown a way to tackle the BJP. We have to fight collectively. Wherever one party is strong, others must rally around it,” West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said over the phone on Thursday.
On Wednesday, she even shook hands with Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury — a rare moment in their mutual history.