Congress could lead Opp’s 2019 front if it wins year-end polls

New Delhi: Even as discussions are taking place between Opposition parties to give shape to an anti-BJP alliance for the 2019 general elections, senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot has made it clear that a final call by his party on the contours of such a front would be taken after the outcome of the coming Assembly polls in four states.

Three crucial BJP-ruled states — Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh — and Mizoram are scheduled to go to polls at the end of the year. Together they account for 66 Lok Sabha seats.

Mr Gehlot, a former Rajasthan chief minister who played a key role in the party’s improved show in Gujarat polls last year, gave a clear signal that if the Congress manages to form governments on its own in these states, the party might stake its claim to leading the grand alliance in 2019.

Earlier reports indicated that the Congress could merely play the role of the front’s convenor, but on Saturday Mr Ghelot said that the final call in this regard will depend on the party’s standing after the Assembly elections.

Speaking exclusively to this newspaper, Mr Gehlot, who is AICC general secretary in-charge of organisation and training, said, “There will be four Assembly polls. Only after the results are out will the situation be clear as to what people want. All political parties will base their approach on how to remove the BJP on the basis of these results.” Mr Gehlot added that the Congress is in a direct fight with the BJP in these states.

Coordination with other Opposition parties is an ongoing process, he said and added that former UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi had called a dinner meeting of Opposition parties recently and would be looking into this matter in the future also.

Asked about the lessons the Congress has learnt from its experience in Karnataka where it failed to emerge as the single largest party, he said, “In Karnataka, we were hopeful. There were a few loopholes. Then we supported them (Janata Dal-Secular) and we did not lose any time in doing that.”

When asked whether the Congress will declare chief ministerial faces in any of the three BJP-ruled states going to polls, he said, “It has been the Congress tradition that the high command takes a decision on the chief minister after elections depending on the public mood which is reflected in the opinion given by the MLAs.”

The senior Congress leader, who had spearheaded the Congress’ revival in Gujarat, said that the party is focussing on issues to take on the Modi government.

“We have got a lot of issues. The atmosphere of violence and hatred in the country, the problems being faced by farmers and the youth and the bad economic situation. We want that in states there should be Congress conferences at district level. We want that the Congress to take up issues at the block, district and state level by organising protests. The public should feel that the Congress is representing their issues,” he said.