The leader of Senior Congress Salman Khurshid feels it is tough for the party to come to power on its own in the present situation, but opposition alliance must not be formed at the “cost of containing Congress”.
The allies should also be ready to make sacrifices and adjustments for defeating the BJP in the 2019 general elections, he told PTI in an interview. “All our leaders have made it very clear that an alliance (is needed) to change the country’s government. BJP must go. Whatever it takes to sacrifice, adjust and negotiate to make the alliance a reality, Congress is willing to do.”
“But it is only fair that it should be the same attitude of other (opposition) parties. The alliance must not be for containing Congress, the alliance must be for removing BJP and we are willing for anything,” Khurshid said.
When asked whether it is possible for Congress to come to power on its own, the former external affairs minister said “it is obviously difficult today”.
“If that is the objective (majority on its own) then we will have to work over a period of five years. Because you cannot work towards an alliance for three years and then suddenly say we will fight to win (on our own). You have to fight for five years. Today we are committed to the alliance and we will do our very best to ensure that the alliance succeeds,” he said.
Congress is the only party that gets seats from all over the country and all other (opposition) parties get seats from their respective states, he said.
“Now the elasticity in numbers is much greater when you are talking of seats from all over the country and when you are talking of seats only from your state. This is the practical reality with which all the leaders have to deal with an open mind,” Khurshid, who also served as minister for law and justice in the UPA II, said.
Khurshid’s comment on the alliance comes in the backdrop of the opposition’s efforts to stitch a united front against the BJP before the 2019 elections and BSP chief Mayawati’s decision to go it alone in the upcoming assembly polls in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
