Cong should play ‘supporting role’ in states, says RLD leader

RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary on Sunday said the Congress should play a “supporting role” in states dominated by regional parties in seatsharing agreements ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

Backed by the Congress, the Samajwadi Party, and the Bhaujan Samaj Party, Chaudhary’s Rashtriya Lok Dal recently won the Kairana parliamentary byeelection, boosting expectations of opposition unity.

Admitting that seat-sharing was a difficult task, particularly in Uttar Pradesh where there are as many as four major parties, the RLD vice president said all partners will have to show magnanimity to halt the BJP in its tracks.

In states where the Congress is the main party, he suggested that the regional parties should support it.

“While in the others, where the regional parties are in the vanguard, the Congress will have to play the supporting role,” he told PTI, suggesting a formula to keep the

The three bye-elections have broken the myth of the BJP’s invincibility and all parties have realised the fact that this is the way forward

– Jayant Chaudhary Rashtriya Lok Dal vice president

fledgling flock together.

“It is, however, for the Congress to take a call on this, but all the constituents have realised that this is the way forward,” he said in a telephone interview.

He said the realisation had already dawned in Karnataka where the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) have formed the government.

He added that things are moving in the same directions in Madhya Pradesh with reports of the Congress and the BSP trying to come together for the assembly elections later this year.

Referring to the bye-elections for Gorakhpur, Phulpur and Kairana Lok Sabha constituencies won by the opposition in UP in the last few months, Chaudhary said, “The three bye-elections have broken the myth

of the

BJP’s invincibility and all parties have realised the fact that this is the way forward.” “If things can be managed properly in Uttar Pradesh, the 2019 poll results will be different,” he said.

“The fact that the three main parties – the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the RLD – are being led by a new generation of leaders will be most helpful,” the 39-year-old leader said.

He said the victory of opposition-backed candidate in Kairana and Nurpur bye-elections carry the message from the people that they want opposition unity.

Chaudhary said his party will use ‘social alliance’ (samajik gathjodh) to foil attempts to make elections in western UP Hindu-Muslim as it did just now by defeat--