GUWAHATI, July 10 - With the proposal for a grand alliance of Opposition groups under serious consideration at the national level for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress party believes that the contours of any such prospective combination would depend on the political nuances and factors prevalent in each State.
The Congress is also of the opinion that the potential of a nationwide grand alliance of Opposition parties has made the BJP �nervous� and �worried�.
�All kinds of talks are going on. That (grand alliance) will be happening at the federal level. That will be at a pan-India level. You have to appreciate that in every State the attributes will be different. Even if there is a pan-Indian kind of alliance, that may not happen in Assam. It depends on the State�s requirement. The regional requirement and the regional relevance will be considered,� Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) vice president Pradyut Bordoloi told The Assam Tribune.
He said that any final words regarding possibility of seat-sharing between Opposition parties in Assam during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls are premature at this moment.
It is noteworthy that the Congress has already proposed a grand alliance of Opposition parties in Maharashtra for next year�s parliamentary polls and similar attempts are being made in Bihar. Nationally also, many Opposition parties have started exploring the possibility of formation of a united anti-BJP front for the 2019 General Elections.
Bordoloi said that recent statements of senior BJP leaders, including BJP national spokesperson Nalin Kohli�s comments in Guwahati, regarding �mahagathbandhan� or grand alliance of Opposition parties reflect the anxiety and panic of the ruling party.
�They (BJP) are very worried that such a �mahagathbandhan� will take place. By castigating it or saying that it is not taking place� is their wishful thinking. All the Opposition parties have more or less decided that they have to get together to defeat the demonic politics of the BJP-led by Narendra Modi,� he said.
The senior Congress leader added, �Why are they (BJP) so worried? It betrays their panic. It betrays their apprehension.�
He said that discussions are going on at the national level among Opposition parties. �Talks are going on and we are very sure that on the basis of a common minimum programme such a �mahagathbandhan� will be formed,� said Bordoloi, who is also a former State minister.
Regarding the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and BJP�s increasing attacks on the Congress president, Bordoloi said that even Prime Minister Narendra Modi spends maximum time during his public meetings in �castigating� Gandhi.
�If Rahul Gandhi does not have any relevance and if he does not have popular support, then why are they (BJP) worried? They know Rahul Gandhi�s popularity is increasing day by day,� said the senior APCC leader.
