Kapil Sibal: Strategic alliance in states to defeat BJP in 2019 polls

Congress and other opposition parties will enter into strategic political alliances in states to defeat the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections feels former Union Minister Kapil Sibal who says a panIndia alliance may be difficult before the pollsHe also asserted that the issue of who will be the Prime Ministerial candidate of the opposition will be sorted out by the parties at the right time The BJPs alliance partners have fallen out he said and does not see the ruling party securing enough numbers even to think of forming the governmentPeople of India are connecting with us because the people have realised that this sort of tsunami of jumlas rhetoric has not taken India anywhere The dreams that were promised have come crashing down The communications revolution is a great benefactor in many sensesBut in the context of this Prime Minister the communications revolution has ensured that whatever he said in the past can be repeated to him haunt him This was not so when the communications revolution had not taken place because it is in electronic mode whatever speeches he made and whatever he said is going to haunt him Public memory is refreshed by repeating those promises that he made Sibal told IANS in an interviewHis book Shades of Truth A Journey Derailed published by Rupa Publications releasing on Friday analyses the four years of NDA rule under Modi the weaknesses that undid the UPA regime the 2G and coal scams among other thingsReplying to questions the former HRD minister said any attempts by BJP to polarise people before elections would not payIt would not matter I think the people of India their eyes have been opened to the reality of this leadership he saidAsked about his view which he has written in the book that Congress would have a dilemma in West Bengal on whether to tie with the Left or the ruling Trinamool Congress he said That we will see I dont decide these issues I have said what I said in the bookTo a question whether there will be panIndia alliance or statespecific alliances Sibal said I have said in the book that a panIndia alliance is difficultAsked if he was confident about an opposition alliance against BJP he said 100 per centWhen pressed to answer whether it would be a grand alliance Sibal said There certainly will be strategic alliances because there are common interests So there is the lowest common denominator at workSibal who was elected from the Chandni Chowk constituency of the national capital in the 2004 and 2009 Lok Sabha elections said in reply to another query whether Congress should partner with AAP in Delhi that I dont think we have asked for alliance but they Congress leadership will decideAsked about the problems that could emerge in the opposition alliance over the Prime Ministers post the Congress leader shot back that prime minister will emergeWhen told about Bharatiya Janata Partys BJP riposte as to who is the alternative to Modi Sibal hit back saying what has this great Prime Minister done for India Forget who If you look at the record of this country the history of the country since 1991 the greatest things have happened in coalition governments A strong majority in 2014 has in fact resulted in belittling the future of India Let us not go into that debateHe said the situation will throw up a candidate Always It always does It happened in 2004 alsoAsked whether the Prime Minister candidate will be from Congress he said I dont know We will see whatever emerges at that point of time That is something people will decideWhen told about the reservations among some opposition leaders over Congress President Rahul Gandhi Sibal said Anybody may have reservations The point in time is if and when that situation arises somebody will emerge and I think the people will decide who that somebody is going to beAsked about reports that the BJP may not get majority but still could form a coalition government next year Sibal said Its all speculation What are the numbers you are talking about BJP is not there in Tamil Nadu BJP is not there in Kerala Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Hardly it is there in West Bengal and Odisha Where are they going to get the seatsThey got all seats in Rajasthan Gujarat almost all seats in Haryana where are they going to get the seats I am not on numbers If you look at the map of India and the fact that alliance partners have fallen out I dont see the BJP securing enough numbers even to think of forming the government he saidWhen asked whether the opposition was simply hoping to cash on the antiincumbency against the Modi government the Congress leader said This is not about antiincumbency This is destroying the very fabric of IndiaSee a disruptive mindset will indulge in disruptive politics and disruptive economics What we have seen in the last four years are disruptive mindsets who have indulged in disruptive politics and disruptive economics he said attacking the BJP governmentSibal said this has nothing to do with antiincumbency Destructive mindsets have resulted in destroying the peace and tranquility of India It has destroyed the economy of India starting November 8 2016He alleged that such a mindset has created levels of unemployment the country has not seenWe have seen violence in the streets when Dalits and minorities are attacked We have seen institutions being destroyed seen the media specially the electronic media collaborate with the government We talked about CBI as caged parrots These are caged and singing parrots to governments tune We have seen distress in the agricultural sector and fear among people that we have not seen beforeWe have seen businessmen losing heart and small businesses being destroyed We have seen the informal sector starved of credit This is nothing to do with antiincumbency It is something to do with impact that this governments policies on the lives of people Sibal addedCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS 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