For Non-BJP parties, Congress is the only option

Congress, the weakest national party, is slowly emerging as the strongest cushion for the regional parties or for that matter, for every anti-BJP force in the country. Ahead of the 2019 elections, this cushion was visibly seen and welcomed by the anti-BJP parties at Bengaluru, the other day. The unity displayed by the non or anti-BJP parties at the swearing-in ceremony of Kumaraswamy in Bengaluru as Karnataka chief minister had sent clear signals that the next election would be the Congress with the non-BJP parties going together in the polls or aligning after the polls.

The Congress had made a strategic sacrifice in Karnataka by giving power to the Janata Dal (Secular) to stop BJP. Though the Congress had won more seats than the JD (S), the national party had offered the Chief Minister post to the junior partner and thus prevented the BJP, the single largest party, from forming the government. This strategic move had come as a blessing for the non-BJP parties like Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Nationalist Congress Party and Trinamool Congress Party, while it is being seen as advantage by the anti-BJP parties like the Telugu Desam Party. There is a difference between being non-BJP and anti-BJP.

Leaders like Mamata Benerji, Sharad Pawar, Akhilesh Yadav have been non-BJP leaders in the country, while Chandrababu Naidu is the new anti-BJP leader who want Narendra Modi to go this time. For all these leaders Congress has to be there before polls or after to see Narendra Modi out of power.

The big task ahead now is the election to the three States of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhasttisgarh, where BJP is in power. In the three States, Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Janasakthi Party, Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party and Devi Lal family’s Indian National Lok Dal have some presence. Neither of them have the strength to defeat the BJP in the three States, unless they align with the Congress and the Left parties. If the target is to defeat BJP and Narendra Modi, these parties would have to sail with the Congress, not after the polls, but before.

The leaders who projected BJP’s defeat in Karnataka the other day, should stand together and say they are together and right to defeat Modi. The victory of these forces or the defeat of Modi has to be seen in any of these three States, where elections are scheduled for December this year.

There is visible anti-incumbency in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh against the BJP with the farmers there turning against the government. The anti-incumbency in Chhattisgarh is not visible and BJP still has some edge here. If the defeat of the BJP is the single point agenda of these parties, they should show it in the three States for the people to believe that they can see Narendra Modi out of power in the 2019 elections. If these parties fail to do so in the three States, it is for sure that Modi will stay back in power after the 2019 elections. The writing on the wall is very clear that Congress is a key player and the regional parties have to rally behind or together.