‘Opposition alliance is not on the agenda currently’.
NEW DELHI: After all anti-BJP opposition parties came together against Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from Lok Sabha, major state parties (BRS, AAP, SP and TMC), which were earlier opposed to the Congress and are now backing it, say that the support is issue-based and does not entail any bearing on the broad-based Opposition alliance.
On the condition of anonymity, a Samajwadi Party spokesperson said, “We are not giving support to Congress. But we are supporting them on a particular point; since the same thing has happened to our leader Azam Khan, so we have already suffered. It is also because the ruling party (BJP) has employed high-handedness while dealing with those who oppose their dictatorship. And if we don’t come together, they will start removing all Opposition MPs from the Parliament.”
The spokesperson further added, “When we suffered like this, the Congress had not raised any voice. We are raising it, because we know that if we don’t come together, more MPs, who stand against BJP’s arrogance, will be disqualified.”
Moreover, leaders of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Trinamool Congress also told The Sunday Guardian that Opposition alliance is not on the agenda currently and the support is entirely issue based.
BRS leaders say all the major alliance decisions will be taken after the party sees its performance in the Assembly elections; if they know that they can single-handedly rout all other parties in the state, they will not go for an alliance. A BRS leader further suggested that the party does not need to go for an alliance if the party is strong enough in defeating the BJP all by its own.
However, there are indications from all the parties, who were bitter towards Congress until recently, that there are chances for all the Opposition parties to come together with the Congress, only if the grand old party shuns its big brother attitude in states where its existence has sharply diminished.
As the parties have turned out in favour of Rahul Gandhi, political analysts say it is the right time for Congress to initiate talks for the grand alliance. The mood for collaboration has been set by Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification, with all dissenting leaders coming on the same table, by supporting the Gandhi scion.
A political observer said, “If the Congress has to get it right in the states, they must give more importance to state parties in their respective regions, and accordingly play a junior partner where it must accept the seats allotted to it by state parties.”
He further added, “The Congress vote share in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana has seen enormous downfall in recent years. By expecting many seats, they will eventually strain any collaboration. Moreover, regional parties would not leave any stone unturned in strengthening their political standing. They are only in particular states, and a step backwards for them means to get sized down in presence, which they won’t like.”