A united front to counter the BJP in the 2019 general elections is the dream of the Congress. A Maha Gatbandhan, comprising all Opposition parties coming under one umbrella, is their plan to counter the NDA. And it seems to work out thanks to the developments post-Assembly elections in Karnataka. And the swearing-in of H D Kumaraswamy as Chief Minister gave a rosy picture for their aspirations.
However, months before the general elections, they seem to have got a jolt in the form of Mayawati. The BSP president announced an alliance with Ajit Jogi’s Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (JCC), and has decided to go it alone in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, dealing a severe blow to the proposed Maha Gatbandan or united Opposition alliance. Remember, the BSP had stayed away from the Bharat Bandh called by the Congress recently. Mayawati had blamed the Congress and BJP as being responsible for the fuel price hike.
This will have greater repercussions in Uttar Pradesh. An alliance against the BJP sans Mayawati may prove costly for the Congress. The mood in the BJP camp must be jubilant. The Congress is aware that united they win and divided they lose. Hence, the coming days will be crucial in Indian politics – who negotiates what and who is ready to give up their stand to achieve their common goal of defeating the NDA. And the recent surveys predicting a majority for the NDA in case of an election today should be running in the minds of the Congress leaders.