'Opposition 'mahagathbandhan' before 2019 polls not practical'
June 25, 2018 21:34
Signalling a shift from his earlier stand, NCP chief Sharad Pawar today said a mahagathbandhan (anti-BJP grand alliance) before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls is not practical.
"A 'mahagathbandhan' prior to the elections is not practical," he told CNN-News18 TV channel.
"In fact, there is a lot of (speculations in) the media, a lot of write-ups about some alternative, some front like a 'mahagathbandhan.' I don't see any possibility of a 'mahagathbandhan' or anything. There are certain of our friends. They want that. But that is not practical," Pawar said.
Indicating that regional parties will play a major role after the elections, Pawar said, "My own thinking and assessment is that ultimately it will be a state-wise position. There might be states like Tamil Nadu, where the number one party will be DMK and other non-BJP parties will have to accept it."
"If you go to Karnataka, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab, you will find that the Congress is the number one party there or in Andhra (Pradesh), one has to accept that the Telugu Desam will be the number one party or K Chandrasekar Rao will be the important factor in Telangana or in Odisha, (Naveen) Patnaik will be the major force or in Kolkata, Mamata Banerjee will be the major force," he said.
"These people will consolidate their positions in their respective states as a state leader, as a state party, not as a gathbandhan (alliance). But after the election there is every possibility that all these leaders will come together because the total thrust of the election (will be) against the BJP," Pawar said.
The former Union minister said he was "confident" of "these forces" coming together after the 2019 elections but saw no possibility of a "Mahagathbandhan" prior to the polls."
-- PTI
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