Rahul Gandhi won’t be pitched opposite Prime Minister Modi in next year’s elections, party’s focus to be on forming alliances in states.
New Delhi: The opposition will not name a prime ministerial candidate to run against Narendra Modi in 2019. Top Congress sources confirmed this to ThePrint, echoing the line earlier taken by West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee.
Congress sources said the party will not pitch its chief, Rahul Gandhi, opposite Modi.
“We are preparing our strategy for the Lok Sabha elections in two stages. The first will be to fight the elections together with other parties to defeat the BJP. The question of who will be the PM would be decided at a later stage,” said a senior Congress leader.
However, the party feels that the Congress’ performance will improve significantly from its worst-ever mark of 44 seats in 2014.
Also read: Congress keeps mum as PM aspirants Mamata, Mayawati throw their hat in the ring
Strategic understandings
The Congress is focussing most of its attention on forming alliances to take on the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra, since a defeat for the ruling party in these three states would give the opposition a solid chance.
Congress sources claim that a strategic understanding has been reached between the Congress, Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party, Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party and Ajit Singh’s Rashtriya Lok Dal to fight the elections together. Only the seat distribution remains to be decided, and talks are on at the highest level.
“If the alliance proceeds as planned in UP, the BJP won’t even be able to win five seats,” said a top Congress source.
In Bihar, the party is all set to go with Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal, while in Maharashtra, its reformed alliance with Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party will challenge the BJP.
Sources have ruled out any alliance with the Shiv Sena, which is the BJP’s partner but insists it will go it alone in the Lok Sabha polls and the assembly elections next year. Recently, Congress president Rahul Gandhi greeted Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on his birthday for the first time, giving rise to speculation that the party might also include the right-wing party in the alliance against the BJP.
In Delhi, the party has insisted that no alliance will take place with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party.
“Usually, the party goes by the recommendation of the state unit,” said a senior Congress leader, pointing out that senior state Congress leaders such as Ajay Makan and Sheila Dikshit have already spoken against any alliance with AAP.
However, the Congress is still undecided over West Bengal, where its state unit has been advocating against allying with the ruling TMC.
Also read: BJP strategy is to use no-trust vote to expose ‘cracks’ in opposition unity
1. How realistic are chances of Congress President Rahul Gandhi becoming Prime Minister after 209 Lok Sabha elections? What is today’s strength of parties, which were part of UPA when UPA government was in power for ten years? Would those parties be willing to accept Rahul Gandhi as a leader? 2. I believe all regional parties, with whom the Congress party may be willing to enter into alliance, know that Congress party has been weakened. My guess is that Congress cannot hope to win even 100 Lok Sabha seats without forming alliance with this or that regional party in different States. 3. Fact is that in States like Uttar Pradesh & Bihar, Congress is in desperate need to form an alliance. In these States the strong regional parties (SP BSP and RJD) will dictate terms of alliance to Congress. 4. In Maharashtra Congress & NCP will be probable alliance partners with many smaller parties. However NCP will bargain hard as it knows that it is the Congress which needs alliance. 5. In West Bengal (WB), the Congress may have to join hands with the Left parties (who are yet to recover after loss of power). 5. Another important fact is that Prime Ministerial ambitions of heads of regional parties particularly of Smt Mayawati, Smt Mamata Banerjee and Sharad Pawar can hardly be ignored. Thus, uncertainties are many. It may be therefore okay for Congress not to say anything about Rahul Gandhi’s desire to Prime Minister right now.
A wise decision. How well each constituent does will illumine the way forward on selection of the leader. 2. Individual CMs will have to deliver their states. Haryana and UP come readily to mind as challenges. Even more so, in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The thirty odd contingent from the DMK will be worth its weight in gold and they are not a bashful lot.