‘Cong key to success of Oppn front’

NEW DELHI: Third Front governments failed in the past because the Congress was never a part of them, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has said, adding there would be nothing wrong in Congress chief Rahul Gandhi claiming the PM’S post if his party emerged as the single largest in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Yadav, who is emerging as a key Opposition leader as his father Lalu Prasad battles deteriorating health and a string of court cases, said the smaller Opposition parties needed to strengthen the Congress, which was in direct contests with the BJP in 18 states.

“I agree (Third Fronts have failed). But remember in those alliances, the Congress was not present. When the Congress came in the alliance, it gave us UPA 1 and UPA 2. The UPA (United Progressive Alliance) ran for a full 10 years. The Congress is the biggest Opposition party. It is the responsibility of the Congress to take others along. Now, for the sake of the country, we have to discard our egos. Wherever the Congress is powerful, we have to strengthen it,” Yadav said in an interview with HT.

Opposition parties are banding together against the BJP for next year’s general

election, motivated by recent wins in by-elections across states. A combined Opposition defeated the BJP in Uttar Pradesh’s Kairana Lok Sabha bypoll last month by preventing the division of anti-bjp votes.

Yadav said if the people had made up their mind to “make Rahul the PM, no one can stop him”. “His logic is not wrong. Whoever is the largest party— like the BJP in 2014—has claimed the Prime Minister’s post. If some other party emerges as the largest, they too, can claim. Where is the problem to make such a claim?” he said.

On the issue of leadership in the Opposition ahead of the 2019 elections, the RJD leader said all parties needed to be respected and given their due share in “seat adjustments”.