Pre-poll anti-Modi alliance hopes dim

Pre-poll anti-Modi alliance hopes dim
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Highlights

After his two-day visit to the national capital and after once again testing the national waters, the AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu must have realised that it is not going to be easy to bring together all anti-BJP forces on to one platform to fight the next general elections. 

After his two-day visit to the national capital and after once again testing the national waters, the AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu must have realised that it is not going to be easy to bring together all anti-BJP forces on to one platform to fight the next general elections.

In choosing to fight against the authoritarian rule of the BJP and for the decisive defeat of the Modi-Shah duo, a lot of sacrifices need to be made by the aspirants in the anti-BJP arena. This is something that won't be forthcoming due to the political compulsions. Naidu must have faced the reality when he sought to knit together an anti-BJP coalition in the first instance in supporting AAP stir against the Centre and the Lt General of Delhi.

It is still not clear who mooted the proposal first, but the joining of forces certainly came at the behest of Naidu. It would have been a worthwhile experiment - supporting the AAP - as a first step if only all those whom Naidu expected to come forward were to do so. The politics came to the fore here and several former CMs' did not join the experiment. Naidu had to contend with the presence of the three CMs.

A keen watcher of the political waters, Naidu would have understood that the Congress was the biggest stumbling block in the opposition unity. Kerala's Pinarayi Vijayan was there because, his party was supporting the AAP cause. Karnataka's Chief Minister is just a namesake Chief Minister as he cannot move an inch and displease the Congress and hence he is a sort of a lieutenant in the office. Such is the oddity of the grouping here.

Naidu alone is in the happy position of pairing with anyone and everyone against both the BJP and the Congress. So what to make of the absence of the likes of Mayawati, Akhilesh, BJD leadership, NCP, Shiv Sena, Akalis, TRS, RJD and JD(U)? There is no explanation other than that these are still weighing their options.

Of the ones who joined Naidu, Kumaraswamy could easily be drifting towards the BJP in the next general elections. All the leaders mentioned above are having their own problems internally as well as locally in joining forces ahead of the elections. Some of them could have local understandings only with the regional parties while showing the door to the Congress.

The general feeling is that the Congress could become a casualty to them in a pre-poll alliance. More so, because a brash Rahul Gandhi had declared himself as the Prime Minister's candidate. Rahul fails to see that the nation is not ready to accept him as its leader. Even Muslims and Dalits who are now forging a new bond against the BJP would be more comfortable with a Mamata Banerjee or a Mayawati. Naidu has his own headaches in his backyard to concentrate on the national scene. So, it all boils down to post-poll alliances.

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