Senior Congress chief Jairam Ramesh.
| Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma
Even because the Trinamool Congress has determined to contest all 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, the Congress on March 3 mentioned doorways are nonetheless open for an alliance with the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC for the upcoming common polls.
Ahead of the Opposition’s rally in Patna, Congress common secretary and in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh instructed PTI they’re nonetheless hopeful and consider that when West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee says she is within the INDIA alliance, her precedence is to defeat the BJP.
“We take that as a statement of her priority and intent,” he mentioned in Gwalior.
“We have not closed any doors. She has unilaterally announced that she will contest all 42 seats (in West Bengal), well that is her announcement. As far as we are concerned, talks are still continuing, the doors are still open and the final word will not be said till the final word is said,” he mentioned.
On the rally to be held in Bihar capital Patna, Mr. Ramesh mentioned it’s a joint Opposition rally and coming after the prime minister went there on Saturday.
“It’s a very significant political rally and it shows the Opposition unity to defeat the BJP and its allies,” he mentioned.
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Former Congress president and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi has additionally given a break to his ongoing ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ to participate within the rally, he mentioned.
“Today is the 50th day (of the yatra), there has been a slight change because Rahul Gandhi has to go to Patna for the Opposition rally and Congress president Malliarjun Kharge is also going to participate in it,” Mr. Ramesh mentioned.
“So this morning, he (Gandhi) is going to have an interaction on the Agniveer issue. Then there will be a road show in Mohna. After that there is no yatra today. But tomorrow, on the 51st day, as planned and as scheduled, we will start from Shivpuri (in MP), ” he mentioned.
On the fifth day, he (Gandhi) can be in Ujjain and go to the holy Shri Mahakaleshwar temple, he mentioned.
Asked concerning the Lok Dal’s participation within the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Uttar Pradesh not too long ago, Mr. Ramesh mentioned the “real” Lok Dal welcomed Rahul Gandhi in the course of the yatra in Aligarh.
There have been posters, banners and hoardings of former PMs Chaudhary Charan Singh, Indira Gandhi and the Lok Dal, he mentioned.
“That was the real Lok Dal, asli Lok Dal, RLD (Rashtriya Lok Dal) is the nakli Lok Dal,” he claimed.
The RLD joined the BJP-led NDA after the central authorities not too long ago conferred the Bharat Ratna posthumously on former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh.
Asked whether or not Rahul Gandhi will contest from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat (in Kerala), Ramesh mentioned, “That is under discussion and Rahul Gandhi will decide the seat.”
On the BJP declaring its first record of 195 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls, Mr. Ramesh mentioned why ought to he touch upon the saffron social gathering’s candidates.
“We are finalising our manifesto, our candidates and our seats in different states. My concern is what we are doing and not what the BJP is doing,” he added.
Source: www.thehindu.com
