Chinks in Oppn unity comfort BJP

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 17

Chief Ministers Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal), N Chandrababu Naidu (Andhra Pradesh) P Vijayan (Kerala) and HD Kumaraswamy (Karnataka), who on Saturday landed at the residence of Arvind Kejriwal to show solidarity and make a politically significant “photo op”, on Sunday requested PM Narendra Modi to resolve the Delhi crisis so the “federal structure of the Constitution is maintained”.

As the four regional players raised the political pitch in favour of AAP and Kejriwal over the weekend, the BJP seemed to draw comfort from the possible dilution of the nascent “it versus the rest” plan. Their open support to Kejriwal was seen as a significant signal for those trying to cobble together an anti-BJP front, especially the Congress.

With the grand old party standing by its disapproval of Kejriwal’s sit-in, the BJP is hoping that the 2019 Lok Sabha elections may not be a direct “it versus the rest” but a multi-cornered fight, ensuring a division of anti-saffron votes. That AAP and Kejriwal will be part of the set appears definite is another inference from these political optics in the Capital.

With the TMC, TDP, JD(S) and the CPM supporting Kejriwal and the Congress taking a contrary stand, the BJP will be relieved as a divided Opposition is what it would take to win the General Election in 2019.

Take stand on Sikh referendum, 4 CMs urged 

• Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari on Sunday hit out at the four CMs backing Kejriwal and asked them to take a stand on the “unconstitutional referendum” in 2020 elections allegedly proposed by AAP in Punjab
• He also sought their opinion on the controversy surrounding a purported statement by AAP’s Punjab leader Sukhpal Khaira supporting pro-Khalistan sentiments