LUCKNOW: Opposition unity appears to be in tatters as crucial Assembly elections in three states — Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh — inch closer.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati’s scathing attack on the Congress on Wednesday and her decision to chart her own course in MP and Rajasthan followed by Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s advice to the grand old party seems to be a sign of more to come.
Political observers, who view the polls in the three states as a semi-final to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, feel it is imperative for the Opposition to pass this ‘unity test’ if they want to cobble up a mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) in 2019.
A Belligerent Mayawati has been attacking the Congress repeatedly off late over a range of issues. Targeting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) recently, she said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government committed a mistake by following the “wrong policies” of the erstwhile United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, which was led by the Congress.
However, the BSP draws leverages power for demanding more seats by being the only party after the BJP and the Congress to have a pan-India presence.On the other, Akhilesh’s caution to the Congress appears to be a last ditch effort to explore the possibility of an Opposition alliance in poll-bound states.
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