BJP would need 'Vajpayee's touch' to win 2019 elections: Naresh Gujral

The present BJP government needs a Vajpayee touch to come up with a winning preelection coalition in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections Shiromani Akali Dal SAD leader Naresh Gujral has saidGujral who is a Rajya Sabha member from Punjab was speaking yesterday at the launch of book Newsman Tracking India in the Modi Era written by veteran journalist Rajdeep Sardesai The success of the NDA will depend on the kind of preelection coalition that they are able to stich up If they are able to carry their existing partners and some more It is important that the BJP treat their allies with kid gloves This is where a Vajpayee touch is requiredI am sure the Shiv Sena will stay with them provided they do not demand more seats from them I am sure Nitish Kumar would want his number of seats and I am sure we will refuse if they ask us SAD even one more seat he has said Though the topic of discussion was Who will win 2019 elections Gujral while recounting the NDAs 2014 comprehensive win in the general elections said it was the lastmoment coalition with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu that made the BJP touch the 282 markLast time at the last moment we were able to bring in N Chandrababu Naidu and he was a force multiplier Personally I think the BJP would not have been able to touch the 282 mark had Naidu not joined the coalition the SAD leader said Naidus Telugu Desam Party TDP had on March 16 ended its fouryearlong alliance with the BJP and walked out of the NDA over the Centres refusal to grant special category status to Andhra PradeshThe debate which had panellists from different parties including Rajasthan Congress President Sachin Pilot AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia among others saw many expressing their opinions on the question of Prime Minister Narendra Modi versus who in the 2019 general electionsWhile Owaisi argued that regional parties will counter the Modi juggernaut in 2019 and not Congresss Rahul Gandhi according to Pilot the upcoming elections would be about issues and not individuals PM Modi will try its utmost best to have a contest between Modi and Rahul and if that happens then Modi is on a very stronger wicket Once the regional parties come forward and they are coming forward Modi will definitely lose Owaisi saidHowever arguing that this time issues will surmount the personality centric elections the one that the country saw in 2014 Pilot said today more important question is not who is going to win the election but who is losing this election and that is the NDA and the BJPYou can try make it presidential personality centric but ultimately the issues will surmount and it will not be about individuals Today it is safe to say that the people of India are going to judge the issues the delivery the rehtoric the jhumlas vs what has actually happen on the ground and in my mind Modis effort as prime minister will be squarely accounted Pilot saidWhen the same question was put to Gujral whose party SAD is part of the NDA he replied the question is not that relevant because 2004 was about Vajpayee vs who and yet Mr Vajpayee lostAlso Read Rajnath Singh Recalls Atal Bihari Vajpayees Role In Lucknows DevelopmentCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updatesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever