Anti-BJP alliance in UP to take shape; Cong, SP and BSP reach consensus, say Sources

Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati. PTI Photo

NEW DELHI: The Opposition's pursuit to stitch an anti-BJP alliance for 2019 in Uttar Pradesh has started taking shapes with sources saying that the Congress, the SP and the BSP have already reached a strategical consensus on how to corner the saffron party in the state.  The three parties believe a successful anti-BJP coalition in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar would lead to the defeat of the NDA at the Centre. Congress sources said the party, which could only win two out of 70 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh in 2014, will contest on a decent number of seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and not remain limited to Amethi and Rae Bareli only. The Congress, the SP and the BSP have arrived at a theoretical consensus regarding the anti-BJP alliance but talks about the seat sharing agreement are yet to take place, they said. The opposition parties observed that for Narendra Modi to become prime minister in 2019, the BJP has to fetch at least 240 seats on its own and if it fails to do so, the NDA allies would make BJP's path difficult. The sources said the Congress was looking at a two-stage action plan for the upcoming general elections. First, it will bring on board all opposition parties to defeat Modi and the BJP/RSS and then decide on the leadership issue on the basis of election results. WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW: The Congress had entered into a pre-poll alliance with the SP in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections held last year but the coalition was decimated and the BJP came to power in the state with a thumping majority. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had already said his party is prepared to walk the extra mile to defeat the BJP and is willing to sacrifice some seats for once bitter arch-rival, the BSP. The understanding between the two regional outfits has ensured BJP's defeat in four bypolls in the state this year. Among the seats the BJP lost was the Lok Sabha seat of Gorakhpur, considered to be Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath bastion. The ruling saffron party was also humbled in Phulpur and Kairana Lok Sabha seats besides the Noorpur Assembly seat recently due to coming together of the opposition parties including the RLD.