The Congress would like Rahul Gandhi to be the next prime minister if the BJP doesn’t get a majority in the 2019 general election but is open to the idea of supporting the elevation of other leaders from the opposition front including Dalit powerhouse Mayawati and Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to the top post, top Congress sources told a news source.
Giving a hint about the party’s strategy, top Congress sources said that the key to defeat BJP is an alliance in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, which together have the largest number of Lok Sabha seats. “If the Congress is able to form anti-BJP alliances in these states, it will restrict BJP to 220-230 and it won’t be able to form the government,” sources said.
Congress and party boss Rahul Gandhi intend to go to great lengths to ensure that the momentum of opposition unity built over the last six months does not dissipate over the leadership issue. “The Congress is not averse to anyone else as the next prime minister except from the BJP and the RSS (the BJP”s ideological mentor),” the sources said.
Stating that it’s going to be an “ideological fight”, the sources said the Congress has to bring all the opposition parties together to defeat the BJP. They added that the Congress does not believe in “right or left” views but for a liberal and pragmatic space.
The Bengal chief minister and Mayawati, a former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, haven’t spoken about their prime ministerial ambitions but make it a point not to rebut the suggestion when it is made.
Mamata Banerjee last week pitched herself as the opposition leader who going to take on the BJP head-on in Bengal and elsewhere when she announced a mega rally for January next year where she will invite other all India political leaders.
Noting that the Congress is focussing on increasing women’s representation in the party, the sources said women leaders will be appointed in general secretary-level posts after they gain experience at different levels of party functioning.
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