If not pre-poll, anti-BJP forces will come together post elections: Gehlot

Team Udayavani, Mar 20, 2019, 10:41 AM IST

New Delhi: In the backdrop of the Congress facing difficulties in forging alliances in a number of states, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has asserted that if pre-election tie-ups are not formed due to “compulsions”, the anti-BJP forces will come together post the Lok Sabha polls.

The Congress wants to enter into alliances in various states and party president Rahul Gandhi has clearly stated that the party will take to the electoral battlefield in the Lok Sabha elections with its alliance partners, Gehlot said.

“The BJP has massive resources at its disposal. It wants to capture power by misusing the resources at its disposal and on money power.

“The Congress has its compulsions as it is a national party. If the Congress does not forge alliances properly and its workers do not align with the alliance partners, then what is the use of such a tie-up,” the senior Congress leader said during an interaction with PTI.

Talking about the Congress and the SP-BSP-RLD alliance fighting separately in the electorally crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, Gehlot said the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party have their own “compulsions”.

“They (SP and BSP) are unable to come with the Congress due to their compulsions. However, pre-poll or post-poll, alliance will be done. There will be pressure from the people,” the 67-year-old leader said.

The SP and the BSP have forged an alliance on 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh.

The SP will contest 37 Lok Sabha seats in the state and the BSP 38, leaving three for the Ajit Singh-led Rashtriya Lok Dal and two for Sonia Gandhi (Rae Bareli) and Rahul Gandhi (Amethi), as per the deal,.

The Congress, which has declared over 30 candidates in Uttar Pradesh, is facing alliance troubles in Bihar and West Bengal, where it failed to forge an alliance with the Left Front.

When asked about the Congress’s troubles in forging alliances with even smaller parties such as the AAP in Delhi, Gehlot said these parties have their own interests.

“These parties have been formed on stealing the vote bank of the Congress. Be it the SP, the BSP or the AAP, they have done politics by taking away the Congress vote bank.They are looking at their own interests,” he said.

“But these parties will also see national interest and forge an alliance when the time comes. I believe that whatever happens, Modiji’s government will not come back to power. If a pre-poll alliance is not done among various (anti-BJP) parties, then a post poll alliance will be sealed,” Gehlot asserted.

The Congress and the AAP have made fresh efforts with the help of NCP chief Sharad Pawar to forge an alliance in Delhi for the Lok Sabha polls, days after they unanimously decided to go it alone in the national capital.

Gehlot, in his remarks, also claimed that democracy was in danger in the country and there was no freedom of speech, alleging that anyone who says anything against the government is branded anti-national.

He also said misinformation was being spread among the youth about former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who was a politician of international stature.

“By spreading this misinformation, these people are committing a sin,” the Rajasthan chief minister said.