 "Alvi calls secular parties to support Mamata for PM")
Congress leader Rashid Alvi on Thursday suggested all regional secular parties, along with the Congress should come together to support West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as their leader to prevent the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from forming the government at the Centre.
Alvi conceded Friday’s election results might not be encouraging for the Congress. “It may be difficult for us to form the government but all secular forces should come together to keep Narendra Modi away from power,” he said.
The Congress leader claimed his party would “never hesitate” to form a secular government. “I suggest regional parties elect Mamata Banerjee, who is secular, competent and honest beyond doubt, as their leader,” he said.
In an appeal that echoed Alvi's sentiments that regional parties should come together to form a secular government, over 900 "concerned citizens" from across India, including eminent personalities from the film industry, activists and academia, asked "parties who campaigned seeking votes on basis of their secular credentials, to prevent formation of a communal central government".
The appeal quoted statements that regional leaders had made during their election campaign about their commitment to secularism and promising to join only a secular government. The appeal stated that many electors voted for these parties on this basis. Some of signatories to the appeal are academicians C P Chandrasekhar, Prabhat Patnaik and Jayati Ghosh, film directors Kundan Shah and Mahesh Bhatt.
The appeal reminded Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K Chandrasekhar Rao, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary J Jayalalithaa, YSR Congress' Jaganmohan Reddy, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Janata Dal (United)'s Nitish Kumar, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar and several other regional leaders of their statements in the recent past where these leaders said they wouldn't ally with the BJP.
Alvi conceded Friday’s election results might not be encouraging for the Congress. “It may be difficult for us to form the government but all secular forces should come together to keep Narendra Modi away from power,” he said.
The Congress leader claimed his party would “never hesitate” to form a secular government. “I suggest regional parties elect Mamata Banerjee, who is secular, competent and honest beyond doubt, as their leader,” he said.
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The Congress, however, snubbed Alvi. “Whatever Alvi has said it is his personal opinion and we have not discussed anything like that within the party,” party general secretary Shakeel Ahmad said.
In an appeal that echoed Alvi's sentiments that regional parties should come together to form a secular government, over 900 "concerned citizens" from across India, including eminent personalities from the film industry, activists and academia, asked "parties who campaigned seeking votes on basis of their secular credentials, to prevent formation of a communal central government".
The appeal quoted statements that regional leaders had made during their election campaign about their commitment to secularism and promising to join only a secular government. The appeal stated that many electors voted for these parties on this basis. Some of signatories to the appeal are academicians C P Chandrasekhar, Prabhat Patnaik and Jayati Ghosh, film directors Kundan Shah and Mahesh Bhatt.
The appeal reminded Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K Chandrasekhar Rao, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary J Jayalalithaa, YSR Congress' Jaganmohan Reddy, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Janata Dal (United)'s Nitish Kumar, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar and several other regional leaders of their statements in the recent past where these leaders said they wouldn't ally with the BJP.