Determined to form the Mahagathbandhan to defeat the BJP, Congress heavyweights P Chidambaram and Salman Khurshid on Monday said that the Congress would not project Rahul Gandhi as PM candidate in 2019. While leaders from the probable Mahagathbandhan partners welcomed the announcements, it has given a fresh handle to the ruling BJP to expose the leadership crisis in the Grand Alliance.
In an interview to a Tamil news channel, Chidambaram said, "The Congress never said that Rahul Gandhi will be the PM face in 2019." He clarified later that the Congress wants the Mahagathbandhan to be formed. "The Prime Minister will be decided by the alliance partners after the election," Chidambaram said.
Echoing his colleague, Khurshid said that the Congress cannot win the 2019 polls on its own. "The PM candidate will be chosen only after the Mahagathbandhan wins the election." The statements by two veteran leaders is being seen as Congress's bid to strengthen the Opposition unity and not make the 2019 Lok Sabha polls a 'Modi versus Rahul' fight as it can then result in a cakewalk for the BJP.
Though the BJP is keen on making the 2019 polls a fight between Modi and Rahul, it is also looking to exploit the scenario in case the Opposition does not fall into the trap of announcing a PM candidate.
Interpreting Chidambaram's statement as a sign of defeat, Shahnawaz Hussain said, "This only means that Congress has understood that it can neither defeat the BJP nor can it stand anywhere close to us." BJP leader Rajeev Panday said, "This only signals that Congress and all other Opposition parties are moving like headless chickens. There is an honest confession that they don't have any leader capable of standing against Modiji."
Political analysts see it a sensible tactical move by the Congress. "The party has looked at several aspects. First, the forthcoming assembly elections in three states where Gandhi has been campaigning. If he fails to produce result, it will be very difficult to hold him up against Modi in the 2019 polls. Second, this move will ease out leaders like Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati who were not very keen on forming an alliance with the Congress," said political analyst Biswanath Chakraborty.
Probable alliance partners like Samajwadi Party have welcomed Chidambaram's statement.
Senior leaders from NCP and Trinamool Congress credited the Congress for acting in a wise manner. "The Congress has moved a step ahead by saying that it is not looking for an alliance for leadership but agenda," said Ghanshyam Tiwari, an SP leader. Another SP leader Juhie Singh said that the Congress has done the right thing as every state has tall leaders capable of becoming PM. "When political parties across the country are looking at forging an alliance to oust the BJP government, it is better that the PM candidate is decided after the elections. If a name it pre-announced, it might lead to rift between alliance partners," said a senior TMC leader.
Senior RJD leader and former Bihar minister Abdul Bari Siddiqui termed it as internal matter of Congress. Another RJD leader said, "Our party has already professed allegiance to the Congress and the Mahagathbandhan."
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