Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Will it be Modi-led BJP govt. versus the rest in 2019 elections?' that was published in Newsband

Will it be Modi-led BJP govt. versus the rest in 2019 elections?

In an effort to build an anti-BJP platform, N. Chandrababu Naidu and Rahul Gandhi, leaders of the traditional rivals Telugu Desam Party and the Congress, met, discussed and then announced that they would work along with other Opposition parties with the primary aim of defeating the Narendra Modi-led BJP government. Naidu acknowledged that the Congress is the lead Opposition party in the country. Both evaded questions on who will lead the Opposition alliance.

Naidu met Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar, National Conference patriarch Farooq Abdullah, Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh, former Union Minister Arun Shourie, and Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh. He said he was in constant touch with Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee and Janata Dal (Secular) patriarch Deve Gowda too. A meeting of Opposition leaders will be called soon to chalk out the next course.

Last week, he had met BSP chief Mayawati, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha in the national capital.

Coalition government at state level and or at Center works under pulls and pressures. It’s not good for state or country. One single large party in the state and One single large party at Center is good for state/country.

Before elections all opposition parties should join hands together for national cause. They should make public their action plan for 2019 to 2024. Also they should make it clear who will be their unanimous choice for PM. We have seen 1977, 1989 aftermath, as such it's hard for nation to trust this opposition coalition unless their plans are convincing and their team leader is trustworthy and credit worthy. Just opposing BJP without any constructive plan would only help BJP.

Perhaps for the first time in the country, there are so many worthy candidates applying for the post of PM: Rahul, Maya, Mamata, Naidu, Kejriwal, Tejaswi, Akhilesh, Farooq, Pawar, Devegowda and others! In any case, with the burgeoning population, the country also needs several PMs instead of only one. Or they can arrive at an arrangement of everyone ruling for few months alternately.

This TDP leader seems to be a fair weather friend and is known for supporting one particular party for a few years and then suddenly decides to quit that party and extends support to some other party. A rolling stone gathers no moss is a true saying; Evidently the only goal of the proposed opposition parties coalition is to defeat the BJP in the coming elections. They might just manage this. But what then? The real infighting will start then, for every one of these parties has a leader who will not accept a second place in the post-election situation. And it is not as though none of these leaders attempted in the past to use institutions, though not constitutional, for their party or personal benefit. Whether the BJP wins or loses in the ensuing elections, there is not much possibility of a better, constitution-respecting political order emerging.

The Mahagathbanthan would lead to chaos and political infighting and ultimately Government collapses, India and Indians would be the real victims. The more the opposition parties come together as a common enemy, more easier will it become for NAMO to remain in power. BJP will only wish that mahagatbandhan does not fritter away but stay together to make it easier for NAMO. Parties opposed to each other for long for certain reasons, if they come together for the sake of power, do not stay together for long. Look at what happened to CPM and congress in West Bengal. They allied to oust Mamta and the end result is well known- both were decimated in election. The votes of the parties do not get transferred to each other.