While opposition leaders seem to have the same goal—defeat the BJP—most of them have kept their cards close to their chests. Pre-poll alliances might not materialise, but teams could be formed based on election numbers.
After the dramatic turn of events following the Kar-nataka elections in May, a bevy of regional and national leaders shared the stage at the swearing in of H.D. Kumaraswamy as chief minister. As they stood there, hands linked and raised, there seemed to be a sense of victory. The immediate win, of course, was Karnataka, but there was a collective eye on the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance to deny Prime Minister Narendra Modi a second term.
Several weeks have passed since that day, and many minds have turned calculators. Leaders are crunching numbers, searching for partners and looking to stand resolute in the face of the famed Modi wave.
The Congress could possibly be the pivot for the larger opposition unity, and is reaching out to various regional parties. It already has the support of the Janata Dal (Secular) in Karnataka and the Rashtriya Janata Dal in Bihar, and will look to take forward its relationship with the DMK in Tamil Nadu.
The idea of a third front, independent of the BJP and the Congress, has been thrown about for some time now. But, Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar told THE WEEK that such an alliance might not materialise.
Given the all-round caution, it seems that pre-poll alliances will be few. But, if the numbers are favourable, enough to topple Modi, several parties could come together. It seems as though a lot depends on the upcoming assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
HEARTLAND OF CHANGE
In June 1995, Samajwadi Party leaders had gheraoed Mayawati at the state guest house in Lucknow. Since then, the Bahujan Samaj Party president has kept the Samajwadi Party at arm’s length. But, recently, the two parties joined hands to win a few byelections in Uttar Pradesh and are now thinking of allying to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
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