A day after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar asked all non-BJP parties to come together against BJP, saying separate contests will not work in the next Lok Sabha elections, the Congress cautiously backed the JD(U)’s chief’s suggestion. But it made it known that the Congress will remain the lead challenger to BJP in 2019 given its pan-India footprint. Congress leaders said there will be “state-specific alliances” for 2019, making it clear that a national alliance is not on the anvil. “Generally, a national alliance does not happen. State-specific alliances happen and they should happen. If in a state, the secular parties feel they cannot defeat the BJP fighting individually, they should come together,” AICC general secretary Shakeel Ahmad told The Indian Express. [related-post] Sources in the Congress said the party will not forfeit the lead role to any regional party. “Certainly, India should be freed of the RSS and BJP because there is a threat to the country’s unity and integrity. But when it comes to the question of alliances, they are state-specific. That’s because a particular party, which has presence in one state, does not have much presence in the neighbouring states. So parties go for state-specific alliances,” Ahmad said. He said some parties think they are competent to take on the BJP in their state and hence they don’t go for alliances. “Some, on the other hand, go for alliances. But essentially these are state-level alliances,” he said. “For instance, there is a party in Bihar. What can we achieve by aligning with that party in Bengal?” “There is no talk of leadership (by Nitish). By the time 2019 elections come, the public themselves will oust the Modi government and there will be no need for any alliance,” he said at a party function when asked about the possibility of forging a Nitish-led alliance. Asked if Nitish was being pitted against Rahul Gandhi in leading an alternative coalition, he said, “There is no fight amongst us. We are all together.” The BJP on its part targeted Nitish for his remarks, saying that those criticising BJP should attend RSS shakha at least for a day to clear “misconceptions”. BJP spokesperson Shrikant Sharma attacked Nitish’s rule in Bihar, saying the state has returned to its “jungle raj” days. “You have had a long coalition with BJP. You have been participating in BJP programmes also. But you have called for a Sangh-free India. It is better you learn and understand the Sangh a little bit. And for that visiting the shakha of the Sangh is the best. Those who oppose RSS should first at least visit its shakha. Only then their misconceptions will be cleared,” Sharma said. RSS ideologue M G Vaidya said, “They can’t defeat the BJP on their own. Maybe they will gain a bit by coming together. Whenever protests increase against it, the Sangh grows. Sangh does not grow at someone’s mercy but because of the hard work of its workers.”
