Cracks appear in united Opposition over PM face for 2019 polls: Congress bats for Rahul Gandhi, BSP for Mayawati

New Delhi: Over 20 non-BJP parties may have gotten together at a rally to project unity, but the issue of prime ministerial candidate remains a sticky one as various parties are pitting their own leaders for the coveted post. While Congress is pushing for Rahul Gandhi, BSP wants Mayawati. Speaking to ANI, Congress’ PL Punia asserted that people’s hopes rest on Rahul for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. “I am confident, that in 2019, people will show their confidence in Rahul Gandhi ji and he will form the government.” [caption id=“attachment_5891621” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Congress chief Rahul Gandhi spoke exclusively to News18 India. [/caption] The 73-year-old-Congress leader also trained guns at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asserting that he will be defeated in the upcoming elections. “It is time for the Prime Minister to go, he should leave the office with modesty (Aapke jaane ka waqt aa gaya hai, aaram se mariyada ke saath chale jaiyee).” He further claimed that the BJP is afraid of the United Opposition and is using objectionable language while slamming the rival political quarter at various rallies. “Why are they afraid of the Opposition getting united. Yesterday, they were only 22 parties who got together on stage. If one looks closely, BJP at present has formed an alliance with as many as 42 parties in several states. They are worried and scared after yesterday’s mega rally.” “At a mega rally, we all have decided that Modi government should not come to power for the second time. People have shown their support for the Congress in three states. People are no more in favour of the BJP. People knew that Acche din lies,”  Punia said. Meanwhile, BSP’s Sudhindra Bhadoria projected Mayawati as the next head of the state, asserting that she will make efforts to uplift the poor, scheduled castes, Muslims and women in society. “Dalits, poor, Muslims and women want that a person who can represent them should be the head. The party leaders of the BJP dream and desire that Mayawati should come forward and must take the lead. However, the final decision will be taken by the various political quarters after the elections,” Bhadoria added. The TMC-led rally on Saturday saw a number of key opposition leaders come together in a major show of unity. At the rally, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee had said that instead of deciding upon the prime ministerial candidate, all the anti-BJP parties should first be united. “The question of a Prime Ministerial candidate was not important right now and that they would collectively decide about it after the elections. Sometimes they ask who will be their leader. We have many leaders. Everyone among us is a leader, a worker, and an organiser,” she had said. Echoing a similar stance, National Conference (NC) leader Farooq Abdullah, who was also present at the rally, said Oppos ition leaders must not give thought to their individual prospects of becoming the next Prime Minister, rather fight collectively against the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. “The leaders must not think about their chances of becoming the rime minister, which will be decided afterwards. As of now, we all should collectively concentrate on fighting the elections together so as to defeat the BJP and save democracy and the nation,” Abdullah had said."