Pre-poll alliance with like-minded parties essential to save country: AAP leader Gopal Rai

A prepoll alliance among likeminded parties has become essential to save the country and democracy senior AAP leader Gopal Rai has said while asserting that the next generation will be put in grave danger if the opposition does not unite nowHe told PTI in an interview that parties that are still thinking of being the leader of a possible united front against the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls have not understood the gravity of the situation at allThe senior AAP leaders comments come amid the Congress efforts to bring several likeminded parties together on a common platform in their fight against the BJPCongress president Mallikarjun Kharge had also telephoned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on April 15 a day after the CBI summoned the AAP national convenor in connection with the excise policy case and stressed the need for opposition parties to unite against the BJP ahead of the 2024 general electionsAlso Read CBI asked me about 56 questions entire excise policy case is false Arvind KejriwalAsked if the AAP will join hands with the Congress for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls Rai said it has become essential for opposition parties to unite to save the country and democracyEfforts are being made to cripple the parliamentary system and to install a system sans opposition Rai alleged and described it as a direct attack on Indias constitution and an indirect attempt to install autocracy in the countryEfforts are being made to capture all institutions be it the Enforcement Directorate Central Bureau of Investigation Election Commission and even the judiciary which is not normal If these institutions lose their independence India will lose all that it has gained in the last 75 years he saidThe Congress AAP Samajwadi Party and the Left are small entities considering the scale of the present situation The 2024 polls cannot be compared to conventional elections These are entirely different circumstances It prepoll alliance with likeminded parties has become essential for the country I think if we together do not resolve the problem now it will put the next generation in grave danger Rai saidAmid efforts towards opposition unity Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met with his Delhi counterpart Kejriwal in the national capital last week Kumar was accompanied by his deputy and RJD leader Tejashwi YadavAsked if the Congress should lead a united front of opposition parties Rai said its not about being the leader its about saving the country and democracyThe Congress also knows this is a different situation altogether Those still thinking about being the leader have not understood the situation at all he addedAbout his partys plans after being elevated to national party status Rai said the AAP will continue working to strengthen its organisational structure across the countryWe are strengthening our organisational structure in Rajasthan Madhya Pradesh Chhattisgarh and Assam We are focusing on these states ruled by the BJP and Congress after becoming a national party he saidRai also said that the bogus corruption charges levelled against Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain will not have any bearing on the partys performance in Delhi in the general electionsIn the MCD elections the AAP did not do well in the areas under Sisodia and Jains Assembly constituenciesThe BJP fought the entire election based on the bogus allegations of corruption in the excise policy Yet we dethroned them ending their 15year rule It should also be noted that we got fewer seats 49 in the last MCD elections when there were no such allegations So it depends on how you see it Rai saidHe expressed confidence that the upcoming election of the mayor and deputy mayor of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi scheduled for April 26 will proceed smoothly without any of the disruptions and controversies that characterized the previous mayoral pollsThe aldermen who are nominated members were at the centre of the controversy surrounding the elections last time The BJP wanted to give them voting rights The Supreme Court ruled against it The elections were conducted and the AAP won I dont think there should be any controversy this time the party leader saidUnder the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act 1957 a new mayor and deputy mayor must be elected at the beginning of each financial year in AprilThe BJP has fielded Shikha Rai and Soni Pandey for the upcoming election despite not having adequate numbers in the House The AAP has renominated incumbent mayor Shelly Oberoi and deputy mayor Aaley Mohammad Iqbal for the positionsThis 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