DELHI: The Congress party’s performance in Gujarat, where it gave the ruling BJP a run for its money in the Assembly polls, has kindled hopes in Opposition parties of a united front successfully taking on the saffron outfit in the 2019 general elections, with some leaders on Monday urging the Congress to take the lead in this regard.
With the improved Congress tally in Gujarat being attributed to party president Rahul Gandhi’s aggressive campaigning, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav was quick to ask the grand old party to lead the way in bringing together secular parties to achieve political change in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Emphasizing that regional parties and regional issues would play a major role in the next general elections, Yadav tweeted: “With the BJP limited to two digits (99) in Gujarat shows party’s downfall has begun. This is the result of party neglecting villagers, farmers and poor.”
“The next general election will be fought on issues like farmers’ distress and unemployment. You will see the change in 2019,” he added.The Left parties also called for a united front to give a fight to the BJP.
“The widest possible coming together of Opposition forces to take on the BJP on an alternate policy platform will finally defeat and destroy this hate machine,” tweeted CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury.
Terming the Gujarat poll results the beginning of the end of the BJP’s “illusion” of a ‘Congress-mukt Bharat’ or ‘Opposition-mukt Bharat’, CPI leader D Raja tweeted: “The result is lesson for all secular democratic forces, including the Left parties to form a united opposition.”
Congratulating Rahul Gandhi and the Congress, former Janta Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav said: “It’s visible now that our united efforts can give strong fight to opponents.”It may be recalled that in the 2015 Bihar Assembly polls, a grand alliance including the JD (U) and the Congress had defeated the BJP.