NEW DELHI: The Congress party yesterday opened the door to multiple choices after the Lok Sabha elections with Rahul Gandhi reaching out to not just the estranged left but also rivals TDP and JD-U only to be summarily rebuffed by all.
The Congress general secretary, who has emerged as the most prominent face of the party, further blurred the contours of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) when his overtures to the Janata Dal-United led to furious reactions from key allies, Lalu Prasad of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Ram Vilas Paswan of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP).
Laying out his party’s strategy in a confusing post poll scenario, Rahul indicated at a press conference here that there would be few enemies. He declared that the Congress would form the next government and that Manmohan Singh would be the UPA’s prime minister again. But he also said the field was open for post-poll alliances.
He added that the Congress too would support the left if such a scenario were to unfold. But the left parties were quick to dismiss his claim of getting their support as “misplaced confidence” and as an indication that the Congress was unsure of getting the numbers to form a government.
“We are for a non-Congress, non-BJP government. Full stop,” said Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) MP Sitaram Yechury. His party colleague Brinda Karat added forcefully: “The Congress general secretary’s confidence is misplaced...”
Communist Party of India (CPI) leader A.B. Bardhan termed it an “election ploy” and said it reflected the Congress’ nervousness. “I don’t think the left will oblige them this time.”
Rahul surprisingly also tried establishing links with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partner JD-U and the Third Front’s Telugu Desam Party. “Chandrababu Naidu did a reasonably good job (as the Andhra Pradesh chief minister). He focused on Hyderabad, he went on the wrong bend perhaps, but I respect him,” he said.
“I am not saying that only Congress has leaders (who have done good work), there are leaders in the opposition... Nitish (Kumar), for example,” he said, praising the Bihar chief minister.
“After elections, all options are open. NDA partners are looking at where is NDA. It exists only in the mind of the BJP. NDA does not exist on the ground. It is gone.”
— With input from agencies
