4th Oct 2018 10:10:PM Editorials
Eastern Sentinel Arunachal News

Rahul Gandhi’s ambition to bring back Congress to power at the Centre in next year’s Lok Sabha elections as the head of a Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) of regional parties and become the Prime Minister seems to be on the brink of collapse. The Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati is the culprit who is now playing the spoilsport. Her decision on Wednesday to go it alone in the forthcoming assembly elections in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh has upset the opposition’s attempt to forge an anti-BJP front in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections too. The BSP’s announcement will impact the Congress party’s electoral prospects in Madhya Pradesh in the immediate context but it could also imperil the incipient alliance of opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh in the next general elections.

On the other hand, a national anti-BJP front was a non-starter with many regional satraps like Naveen Patnaik of Odisha and Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal, etc. remaining non-committal because these leaders do dream of the Prime Minister’s chair in Delhi. Still, a state-level grouping of all opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh could pose a huge challenge to the BJP, which secured 71 of the state’s 80 Lok Sabha seats in 2014. Uttar Pradesh is vital to the BJP’s chances of returning to power at the Centre in 2019.

Declaring her party’s decision to go it alone in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, Mayawati didn’t speak on her party’s strategy for the Lok Sabha elections but a spurned Congress is unlikely to cede much ground for the BSP in 2019. A BSP-Samajwadi Party alliance in 2019 could, however, still be a possibility, given that Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav has repeatedly hinted his willingness to offer more seats to Mayawati to ensure a joint contest against the BJP. But if the Congress, which won 21 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh in 2009, decides not to join that alliance, it will splinter the opposition votes, much to the advantage of the BJP.


Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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