‘Mahagathbandhan’ at national level won’t be easy, Opp must unite: Sibal

NEW DELHI, Sept 6:
Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal Thursday said an attempt to form a “mahagathbandhan” at the national level is not going to be easy and called for unity among the opposition ranks to defeat the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
In an interview, he said all parties getting together will be the “best situation”, but the Congress with very few seats in Lok Sabha currently cannot dictate terms and thus has to form alliances in states to ensure a non-BJP government at the Centre.
“Where is the ‘mahagathbandhan’ today? The attempt to form a mahagathbandhan at the national level is not going to be easy,” he said, ahead of the launch of his book “Shades of Truth” on Friday.
Sibal, however, noted that with very few seats the Congress is not in a position to “dictate terms”, especially in states where it does not have a significant presence.
“If all parties get together nothing like it. But that is not an easy task for all to get together,” he noted.
On who will form the next government, he said, “I perceive that the BJP will not be able to form a government. What the nature and architecture of the alternative government will be, will be decided after the election results come about.”
“The Congress needs to form strategic alliances in those states so that in the aftermath of the Lok Sabha elections, the alliance partners stand with it to ensure a non-BJP government at the Centre,” he said, adding that the results in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar will decide who will be in government at the Centre.
The Congress leader noted that if the Congress and the RLD become part of the alliance comprising the SP and BSP, “it will be a formidable force”.
The former union minister said it is clear that the BJP will will lose half the seats in states where it has significant presence currently.
Asked who will be lead the opposition to form a government in case the BJP fails to muster that much support, he said, who will form the government and who will be its leader will be decided later when the results come.
“When the election results come out, then the issue of who will be the leader of the opposition will come up,” he said.
“The BJP is going to lose half the seats there straightway. They have nothing left in the South other than Karnataka. There is no way that they can muster enough support to form a government,” he said.(PTI)

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