BENGALURU: Highlighting the need for a broader coalition to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, former Maharashtra chief minister and Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Saturday said that India may not see elections again if the current government returns to power. “There is great worry about the continuation of democracy in India with the way the Prime Minister is functioning. If they (BJP) win one more election we are afraid that there may not be elections again,” Chavan said.
Chavan urged all like-minded parties to come together while rejecting the possibility of a non-Congress, non-BJP front becoming a formidable force. While Chavan refused to answer who would lead such a coalition, he said that Congress is the largest party. “This is a crucial election for us. There is an absolute need for all like-minded parties to come together,” he said. Chavan was addressing the press about Union Minister and Karnataka election in-charge for BJP Piyush Goyal’s alleged conflict of interest in selling his firm to Piramal Estates Pvt Ltd - a big player in the power sector.
“Piramal group entered the renewable energy business in 2013. In July 2014 they inked a deal with APG Asset Management for investments worth $1 billion in various infrastructure projects, including in the power sector, which is a clear case of conflict of interest,” Chavan said.