Cong must be large-hearted for allies, best equipped to lead alliance against BJP: Tejashwi Yadav
New Delhi, Jan 20: The Congress is "best equipped" to lead the opposition's charge against the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said Sunday, asserting that the grand old party will have to handle its leadership role with "large-heartedness" and accommodate regional parties.
Yadav also hailed the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance in Uttar Pradesh and emphasised that his "courtesy call" meetings with Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati post the tie-up should not be construed as a "pressure tactic" aimed at the Congress.
In an exclusive interview to PTI, the Rashtriya Janata Dal leader said since the Congress is India's oldest and currently the second-biggest political party, with a pan-India presence, it is in a very strong position to win the maximum number of seats among the opposition parties.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, among the prospective opposition grand alliance parties, the Congress had won 44 seats, the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress won 34, the Samajwadi Party won five, while the RJD had bagged four seats.
"I don't find anything wrong if the Congress plays a pivotal role in forming the alliance or taking the leadership role of the alliance into the elections. But having said that, they have to accept that each state has different ground realities," Yadav said when asked if for a strong opposition coalition, the Congress has to be the pivot.
The Congress, being the party with national acceptance and maximum footprint in the opposition, is "undoubtedly best equipped" to lead the opposition's charge against the Bharatiya Janata Party or the National Democratic Alliance, the former Bihar deputy chief minister asserted.
"However, the Congress will have to handle their leadership role with large-heartedness and play a proactive role by accommodating regional parties with their agenda.
"In states where Congress doesn't have a robust base, it must allow regional outfits to occupy the frontal-attack position against the BJP," Yadav said, emphasising that regional parties have a greater ability to transfer votes.
The concentration is on winnability, hence the coalition must be decided state-wise and seat wise, said the 29-year-old son of former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad.
Every party will have to compromise or lend space to other parties depending on the situation in a particular state for forming a winning alliance, Yadav said while replying to a question on whether the Congress has to be more giving to regional parties to strengthen the opposition coalition.
Asked if leaving out the Congress from the SP-BSP tie-up will impact the opposition's national level coalition, he said the people of India feel they have been "duped badly" and have made up their mind to get rid of the propagandists for their own well-being.
The people are wise enough to understand which bloc can be their best bet to defeat the BJP, he said.
On whether the SP and BSP will be a part of the mahagathbandhan' in Bihar, the RJD leader said principally all opposition parties are together against the BJP-led alliance.
"You don't always need seats to contest to prove that you are part of an alliance. Sometimes lending unconditional support works wonders for sending the message across to the electorate.
"It is true that the SP and the BSP aren't main political parties of Bihar, but we have high regard for them and their politics. We have seen that SP-BSP alliance has decided not to field their candidates in Amethi and Raebareli," Yadav said.
Once arch-rivals, the SP and the BSP announced this month their tie-up in UP for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, sharing 38 seats each and keeping the Congress out of the alliance.
Tejashwi Yadav's remarks come amid hectic efforts by the opposition to forge a strong alliance to take on the BJP in the general election.
Leaders from several opposition parties, including Yadav, came together Saturday, vowing at a mega rally in Kolkata to put up a united fight in the coming polls and oust Prime Minister Narendra Modi from power.
Prime Minister Modi had earlier hit out at the Mahagathbandhan for the polls, saying it was an "unholy alliance" of various political parties for "personal survival". The BJP has also slammed the SP-BSP tie-up in UP.
Yadav also hit out at those dubbing his meeting with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and BSP supremo Mayawati in Lucknow as a pressure tactic aimed at the Congress, saying his family always had close ties with the two leaders and the meetings were courtesy calls.
Akhilesh ji is part of our extended family and 'behen' Mayawati ji always had cordial relations with us. When she resigned from Rajya Sabha, my father publicly said RJD would always be ready to send her to Rajya Sabha if she agrees, Tejashwi Yadav said.
Even last year during RS elections in Bihar, I called her to request her again to enter Rajya Sabha with RJD backing. So my courtesy calls to them shouldn't be construed as a pressure tactic, he said.
As far as Bihar is concerned, irrespective of the number of MLAs in the assembly or being part of the government or opposition, everyone knows the RJD is the biggest party, he said. It is the RJD's fear that has kept the BJP and Janata Dal (United) together, he claimed.
On BJP terming the SP-BSP alliance an opportunistic alliance, Yadav hit out at the saffron party saying when it has tie-ups, it calls it "smart politicking", and asked what should its coalition of about 40 parties be called.
"Criticism by the BJP shows their uneasiness due to this alliance," he said.
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UP: Fake IAS officer marries woman, flees with Rs 15 lakh dowry
Gorakhpur (UP) (PTI): A newly married man fled with the Rs 15 lakh given to him as dowry by the bride's family, and it came to light later that he was an alleged serial scammer, police said on Sunday.
The accused, identified as Pritam Kumar Nishad from Etawah, allegedly posed as an IAS officer to deceive the woman into marrying him. He is currently absconding with his sister, and a case has been filed against him for cheating, dowry harassment, and forgery, officials said.
According to the police, the woman's family claimed that they spent nearly Rs 30 lakh for the wedding that was solemnised on March 11.
The match was arranged through a matrimonial group, where the accused introduced himself as an IAS officer, sharing purported interview clips, office visuals, and photographs with politicians to gain the family's trust.
Despite initially claiming he would marry without dowry, the accused allegedly demanded Rs 15 lakh shortly before the engagement. The bride's family paid Rs 10 lakh in cash during the engagement and the remaining Rs 5 lakh on the wedding day, the police said.
The fraud came to light on Saturday after the woman reached Etawah, and a wedding attendee informed the family that the accused was not a civil servant. When her relatives visited the address provided by him, they found her in a small rented room, while the accused and his sister had fled, the police added.
The woman has also alleged that the accused planned to take her to Goa and sell her, and accused him of inappropriate behaviour.
The police suspect that the accused may have been involved in multiple such marriages in the past. Based on a complaint lodged at the cantonment police station, an FIR was registered on Saturday evening.
Senior Superintendent of Police Dr Kaustubh said efforts are underway to arrest the accused.
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