Taking a dig at Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, on Monday Shiv Sena mocked his efforts to form a non-BJP government at the Centre.
In the editorial of party’s mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, Shiv Sena said, “There are at least five contenders for the Prime Minister’s post in Opposition. There are more chances of their disillusionment (mohbhang). Who will form the government? This question has already been answered. Amit Shah said that BJP will win 300 seats and the party reached that target in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections only.”
“Why Chandrababu Naidu is exhausting himself without any reason? Hope his current excitement last till May 23. We wish him luck for the same,” the party added.
In the hope to form the government at the centre, in case the May 23 Lok Sabha poll results see a fractured mandate, Andhra Pradesh’ Cheif Minister Chandrababu Naidu has been running pillar to post aspiring to strengthen an anti-BJP front.
Chandrababu Naidu has been on a meeting spree with the prospective Prime Ministerial candidates of the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ parties. So far, Naidu has met Congress president Rahul Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, and BSP supremo Mayawati. He is scheduled to meet Mamata Banerjee today in Kolkata. Interestingly, each one of these leaders secretly harbours the desire to lead the country as the next Prime Minister of India.
The results of the 2019 elections are a few days away, and this is perhaps why Naidu thought it wise to warm up to each one of these leaders in the less likely event of Mahagathbandhan crossing the 272-mark.
The desperation among the opposition ranks to keep the BJP out of power this time, by hook or crook, is evident. Recently the news about 21 opposition parties were planning to write a letter to the President urging him to not call the single largest party to form a government at the centre emerged. The plan, however, was based on the hope that BJP alone won’t be able to conjure up 272 seats to stake a claim at the government.
Similarly, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, understanding the urgency of a united opposition to take on the BJP surge, had also stepped in to unite opposition parties to form an alliance government.
Realising that the Congress party can’t form a government at the centre on its own or with its current allies, the UPA chairperson reached out to almost all Opposition party leaders to check their availability on May 21, 22 and 23 for a strategy meeting in Delhi.
Desperation to keep BJP out of power has urged Sonia Gandhi to approach parties like the Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and K Chandrashekar Rao’ Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). Despite the two going head to head in Andhra Pradesh, YSR Congress of Jaganmohan Reddy and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) have also been invited.
The UPA chairperson is believed to be attempting to convince the parties that it was time to keep petty politics aside and take on BJP unitedly.
Meanwhile, the exit polls have predicted a thumping victory for the BJP government and if one goes by these predictions the efforts the opposition parties are putting in will soon meet a sad ending. The Lok Sabha election results are due to be declared on May 23.
