PTI, BENGALURU: Forget the BJP winning the 2019 polls, even Prime Minister Narendra Modi might lose his Varanasi seat under a united opposition, asserted Congress president Rahul Gandhi today.
Pegging his confidence on opposition unity, Gandhi said far from the BJP winning the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, even Modi might lose from Varanasi if his party, the SP and the BSP were united against him.
Exuding confidence over roping in and managing alliance partners despite their varied personal and regional aspirations, Gandhi predicted for the current ruling dispensation, a “collapse” not “seen in many years.”
“Frankly, I don’t see the BJP winning the next election, so in 2019 we will go back to the normal, I sense,” he said in reply to a question on “Dalit anger.”
“…because there are two basic things, once opposition unity goes above a certain level, it becomes impossible to win elections. Now the opposition unity has gone to a point. It’s simple,” Gandhi said at an informal media interaction.
Pointing at the opposition unity efforts in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and by the DMK, the Trinamool Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party in Tamil Nadu, Gandhi asked, “Where are they (BJP) going to win seats?”
And in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab. We will take it over.”
“You are going to see a collapse of the style you haven’t seen in many years,” he said.
Responding to a question doubting the forging of opposition unity amid varied aspirations of each party and their leaders, Gandhi expressed confidence of overcoming it.
“We will manage it. We in the Congress know how to carry people, we are not egotistical people, we don’t crush people and we don’t destroy people’s lives, so we will manage it,” he said.
The Congress president also ruled out emergence of any third front.
Accusing the RSS of generating anger and hatred, Gandhi alleged that people are being killed for what they are saying and that needs to be put to an end.
“The natural sort of political environment where there is a little bit of acrimony, but not hatred, needs to be restored,” he said.
Stating that Modi had a “very good” opportunity after the 2014 election, Gandhi said a lot could have been done for the country.
Terming as “funny” the BJP’s confidence of breaking the opposition alliance in Uttar Prdesh and claiming that he understands UP politics, Rahul said when the three parties (SP, BSP and Congress) come together, “BJP will win only two seats, that too with luck.
He said even Modi may lose if he stands from Varanasi and the three parties were united against him. “In fact, I challenge him to stand with three parties united,” he added.
