The entry of Priyanka Gandhi into active politics will not impact the SP-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP has been rattled because of the coming together of the two parties, says Neeraj Shekhar, a Samajwadi Party MP.

"In the nation's interest, our aim is to remove Modi and the voter and the workers know it very well. They also know what kind of situation may emerge if Modi wins again," Shekhar told IANS in an interview.

He was asked whether keeping the Congress out of the SP-BSP alliance may cost the two parties after Priyanka Gandhi's entered active politics as Congress General Secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh.

The Rajya Sabha member and a close confidante of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav expressed confidence that the SP-BSP alliance would confine the saffron party to a single digit.

This, he said, would turn the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in favour of the opposition alliance as there was immense anger among the farmers and youth across the country against the Modi government which had failed to fulfil the promises made to them.

"The PM is so rattled due to alliance of the opposition parties that he is using the words like 'milawat' and 'mahamilawat' against them. This shows his desperation. He has also sensed that countdown of his departure has begun," he said.

"They (BJP) have done alliances with over 40 political parties. They allied with Peoples Democratic Party in Jammu and Kashmir, a party opposed to the BJP's ideology. But when we are forging alliance, it pains them," he added.

He called as "farce" BJP President Amit Shah's claim that his party and its allies would not get less that 73 of the 80 seats they won in 2014. In reality, in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Uttar Pradesh will decide Modi's fate, Shekhar said.

"Shah may be claiming he can win over 73 seats, but no one will believe it. They will be confined to single digit and their dream to retain power again will remain a dream," he said.

Shekhar, a former Lok Sabha member from Ballia, he said if BJP thought that it can cover up the losses in Uttar Pradesh by winning more seats from West Bengal and Odisha, then "they are underestimating Didi (West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee) and Naveen Babu (Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik)".

He also said that the BJP will not able to repeat its 2014 performance in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Jharkhand besides Uttar Pradesh.

Asked about the lack of a Prime Ministerial face in the opposition, he said all opposition leaders were "very mature" and the issue would be resolved in a day.

"They all are very mature and competent. They will take the decision in a day in the best interest of the country. What happened in 1977? All opposition parties fought together and decided their leader after elections," he said.

He said that issues related to farmers and youth would take centrestage as the election approaches and claimed that the two sections "will take thier revenge from this government as the promises made to them by BJP in 2014 were not fulfilled.

"The Prime Minister remained busy in giving speeches in India and abroad but has not done anything for farmers and the youth in five years. The farmers are in distress and youths are looking for jobs. Now, when they sensed the threat, they have come up with sops for farmers in the Budget. But this is not going to work," he said.

He said when it comes to employment, the Prime Minister starts counting the numbers of trucks, autos and other vehicles being sold and says these have created jobs.

"The youth voted Modi in 2014 expecting that his government would provide at least one crore jobs every year if it can't provide two crore but they failed. Unemployment has increased and the government has the numbers available with it. But they don't want to make them public.

Shekhar, a member of the parliamentary Sanding Committee on Home Affairs, accused the government of failing on all fronts and misleading the countrymen by making false promises in 2014.

"His (Modi's) term is going to end but still he is accusing the Congress for its deeds in last 55 years. He is raking up corruption charges which he raised in 2014. You were in power for last five years. Why did you not send them to jail? Now you are using CBI and ED against them. This is not going to deter us from opposing you," he said.

The SP leader said that as Modi has "failed on every front, he would resort to Mandir and divisive politics to win the elections as he knows his tall claims of development is not visible on ground and can't gain votes for him".

(Brajendra Nath Singh can be contacted at brajendra.n@ians.in)

--IANS

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