Expiry date of BJP govt. up, Mamata thunders at rally

Akhilesh, Yashwant Sinha, Deve Gowda all join in the war cry for Elections 2019

Kolkata, Jan 19: Coming across as a true leader for United Opposition, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, took the fight directly to the BJP door as she said that the expiry date for the Narendra Modi government is here and Saturday’s rally marked the beginning of its end. Rolling the red carpet for several opposition leaders to take on the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections, Banerjee sought to address concerns over who would lead the alliance, saying all the opposition parties have promised to work together. “Who will be the prime minister can be decided after the Lok Sabha elections,” she said.

Addressing the ‘United India’ rally, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav said people’s rights were under the threat as he attacked the Centre for curtailing people’s rights. He said the 2019 Lok Sabha elections would see a fight between the alliance of the BJP, CBI and ED on one hand and the Mahagathbandhan on the other.

Representing the Congress at a mega gathering of opposition parties here on Saturday, Mallikarjun Kharge said party chief Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi had sent their good wishes for the rally. At the rally, Kharge, the leader of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha, read out a message from Sonia Gandhi, highlighting the “crisis” looming over the country with farmers and fishermen living under immense strain.

At the rally, former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha came down heavily on the Narendra Modi government saying that this was the first government after Independence which has been playing “mischief” with the developmental statistics. Sinha who quit the BJP recently said, under the present regime praising the government was “desh bhakti”(patriotism), criticizing it is “desh drohi” (sedition).

Speaking at the rally, former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda Saturday said with the general elections close at hand, the opposition parties should forget their differences and come together to fight the BJP unitedly.  The Janata Dal (Secular) supremo said a small group of senior leaders should be formed to decide on a roadmap on how they will ensure good governance. The herculean task of seat sharing for the coming Lok Sabha elections has to be addressed to ensure direct fight against the BJP, he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi targeted the ‘mahagathbandhan’ (grand alliance) mulled by opposition parties, calling it a combine of those he prevented from looting India. He also took potshots at the TMC’s opposition rally in Kolkata while addressing a public function at Silvassa, the capital of the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli.