'Grand Alliance' of non-BJP parties is need of hour, says JD (U); 5 updates

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar (PTI/File Photo)

New Delhi: It appears that opposition parties are moving toward forming a grand alliance against BJP for the coming 2019 Lok Sabha polls with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's suggesting a 'Grand Alliance' . Hailing Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's suggestion that a 'Grand Alliance' of non-BJP parties is needed to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) on Tuesday asserted that such a coalition is the crying need of the hour. Here are latest updates:

• Speaking to ANI here, JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav said, "I agree with Nitish Kumar's suggestion. They way the Opposition parties are scattered, it has benefitted BJP party. It is the crying need of the hour that the Opposition should unite together to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led-BJP party."
• Resonating similar views, JD (U) member of the Rajya Sabha Pawan Verma said that the 'Mahagathbandhan' of non-BJP parties at the national level can be an effective challenge to the BJP.
• "It is important to remember that Nitish Kumar said this before the 2017 Uttar Pradesh elections that if the opposition parties can come together on a basis of a credible narrative with an alternative agenda and vision for our country. This will be the effective challenge to the BJP," Verma said
• Varma further stated that Nitish Kumar repeated his statement this time in particular to the Congress party which is the largest opposition party, so that they take their first step in this direction. "The question of leadership within the opposition parties will be resolved once you they have a credible alternative vision to present," he added.
• Earlier on Monday, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that a grand alliance of opposition parties, similar to that in Bihar on the national level could stop the dominance of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. "As the grand-alliance was successful here, if it is emulated on the national level, it could achieve grand success," Kumar said.

"The BJP's victory in Uttar Pradesh was mainly because of lack of a Bihar-like 'mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance) there ... If you add the vote percentage of the Samajwadi Party, the Congress and the BSP, it is 10 percent more than the votes polled by the BJP," Nitish Kumar told mediapersons in Patna, reported PTI. Kumar, the architect of the Bihar grand alliance comprising the JD(U), the RJD and the Congress, said, "Being a bigger party, it is the Congress' responsibility to take the initiative of bringing all major non-BJP parties on one platform." The Janata Dal United (JDU) leader said that he held talks with other Left leaders and the Congress in this regard and asked them to take an initiative to throw the BJP-led NDA alliance out of power. Kumar further said that being the oldest party, the Congress should take the responsibility of brining all other opposition parties on the same platform. The architect of grand alliance in Bihar said that there is no dearth of leaders for the post of Prime Minister. (With inputs from agencies)