Cong to tap like-minded parties to take on BJP

NEW DELHI: sensing an opportunity to ride on the anti-BJP mood following the recent bye-elections, the Congress on Saturday resolved to stitch together an alliance to take on the BJP ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

“The Congress will adopt a pragmatic approach for co-operation with all like-minded parties and evolve a common workable programme to defeat the BJP-RSS in the 2019 elections,” the political resolution passed at the 84th Congress plenary session on Saturday said.

It said the country faces danger from divisive and authoritarian forces and observed that in the Modi regime, traders, farmers, workers, dalits, minorities and youth were feeling betrayed.

Addressing the gathering, former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi reinforced the need to forge an anti-BJP alliance. She recalled how the party in its 1998 Pachmarhi session had decided against any alliances but then changed tack to adapt to a new political scenario. At the session in Shimla in 2003, the party proposed to work with like-minded parties.

“In 2004, we achieved that goal that many people felt was impossible. We formed the UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh. We remained committed to our promises and our achievements led to a bigger mandate in 2009,” Sonia said.

Sonia, who had said she would retire after her son Rahul became party chief in December, has once again taken the initiative to forge opposition unity against the BJP. On March 13, she had hosted a dinner for leaders across party lines.

Rahul, who has been leading opposition protests inside Parliament, has met NCP chief Sharad Pawar. He is scheduled to meet West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on March 28 to build an alliance. In his opening remarks, Rahul said the Congress was the only party that could unite the country.  

The Congress resolution said, “The very basis of our polity is threatened by the ideology of the BJP, RSS and their affiliates. The RSS-BJP is misrepresenting, distorting and misusing religion to exploit the sentiments of people and capture political power.”

Referring to the recent multi-crore PNB fraud, the Congress resolution said the country had seen the biggest banking scam under the Modi government that allowed the accused to flee from the country. “People were apprehensive about the safety of their money in banks,” it noted.

The Congress also condemned the neglect of Andhra Pradesh by the BJP government and said it will honour provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act as well give special category status to the state.