Opposition calls for grand alliance in UP to defeat BJP

Parties have sent a message on a day BJP started celebrations for 3 years of Modi govt

On the Narendra Modi government’s third anniversary on Friday, a united Opposition decided to wait and watch before finalising their nominee for the presidential polls in July. They want the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party to name its candidate for the top constitutional post first.

The highlight of the luncheon organised by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, attended by 16 political parties, was when at least half a dozen leaders underscored the need for a “grand alliance” in Uttar Pradesh between the Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Congress if the BJP is to be defeated in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, supported by Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Lalu Prasad, took the lead to underscore the need for an alliance. 

BSP chief Mayawati and SP’s Akhilesh Yadav, who were also present at the meeting, didn’t object to the proposal. Mayawati, whose party has rarely been a part of sundry efforts to forge Opposition unity in the past decades, said she supported the initiative. This was received with a round of applause by others.

Banerjee spoke about how the CBI and other agencies were “harassing” not just her party leaders, but also Mayawati and Lalu Prasad. The meeting was called to discuss the need for a common Presidential candidate. But the Congress president initiated the discussion by stating that no specific names would be discussed. Nationalist Congress Party’s Sharad Pawar suggested the Congress chief should be authorised to set up a panel to select the candidate. The others also agreed to the proposal.

Later, Congress’ Ghulam Nabi Azad and Sharad Yadav of the Janata Dal (United) charged the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government of not reaching out to them over the Presidential polls as has been the tradition. If the Centre failed to initiate the process soon and come up with a candidate with secular credentials, the Opposition would field someone who shall protect the country’s constitutional values, Azad said. 

“There will be a committee to find a consensus candidate ... If there is a secular candidate, we can come together,” said Bengal’s chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

Ganghi’s lunch was significant for two reasons — it came ahead of a similar grouping scheduled on June 3 in Chennai to celebrate the 94th birth anniversary of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) founder patron M Karunanidhi, and the Opposition got a chance to send out a message on a day the BJP started celebrating three years of the Modi government.

The parties, including traditional arch rivals, at the gathering broke bread and flexed muscles while attacking the ruling party’s policies. 

Parties represented in the meeting included all of the ruling Left Democratic Front of Kerala and the Congress-led United Democratic Front opposition in that state, SP and BSP of UP and Bengal rivals TMC and Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Front.

CPI (M) chief Sitaram Yechury, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi and Omar Abdullah of the National Conference were also present at the gathering. 

Delhi’s Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal was not invited, as his party has so far not taken part in any joint Opposition programme.

Mayawati and Sharad Yadav blamed the ruling NDA for showing little concern towards the welfare of Dalits, tribals and farmers. The Opposition also expressed their concern over the grave situation prevailing in Jammu & Kashmir.