New Delhi: In 2018, Kumaraswamy of the secular Janata Dal took office as the Chief Minister of Karnataka. At that function, most of the opposition leaders came together and took the stage and showed pride. A similar scene was seen at the inauguration of Congress Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on the 20th. Leaders of around 20 parties opposing the BJP were invited.
In this, important leaders such as Mamata Banerjee of Trinamool Congress, Akhilesh Singh Yadav of Samajwadi, Mayawati of Bahujan Samaj and K. Chandrasekhara Rao of Bharat Rashtra Samithi could not be seen. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik were also not invited.
However, there is an attempt to oust the ruling BJP from power at least this time. Bihar Chief Minister and United Janata Dal leader Nitish Kumar is spearheading this work.
All opposition leaders had supported Nitish’s initiative this time. In particular, those who were reluctant to join hands with the Congress came down on Nitish’s demand. In this context, not all opposition leaders were present at the inauguration of Karnataka’s new Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Due to this, doubts have arisen about the opposition parties getting stronger in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as well as in the 2019 elections. The prediction of the Congress leaders who are denying this is different.
The Congress directly opposes the BJP in about 250 Lok Sabha constituencies in most states of the country. Congress will form alliances with around 20 parties in other states before the Lok Sabha elections. In Jharkhand, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, Congress is already the ruling party.
The ruling parties in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha and West Bengal are breakaway from the Congress. Therefore, there will be no problem in forming an alliance with them after the Lok Sabha elections, among other things, is the plan of the Congress.
Speaking to ‘Hindu Tamil Vektik’ newspaper, Sudarsana Nachiyappan, former Union Minister and in-charge of Karnataka Congress, said, “The BJP wants to eliminate the ruling parties in the states at once. It is the party’s view that if these disappear, the Congress will perish. Similarly, Congress never intended to abolish state parties.
Andhra, Telangana, Kerala, Odisha and West Bengal states will be signed for Lok Sabha elections. This time, he said, it is certain that the BJP will be removed from the center in a new approach.
Endorsing this claim, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata has suggested that the Congress should make some concessions in states where regional parties are strong.
It is expected that the results of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections will depend on the Congress giving in to other opposition parties. By this, there is an opinion that Congress can get the support of Aam Aadmi Party, Bharat Rashtra Samithi, YSR Congress and Trinamool Congress which are the direct competition of Congress.
