I.N.D.I.A a purely opportunistic alliance, bound to disintegrate: Ravi Shankar Prasad

Opposition I.N.D.I.A bloc a “purely opportunistic” alliance that is bound to disintegrate, said senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday. Addressing a press conference in Bhopal, capital of poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, Prasad said: “Nitish Kumar has given a big statement admitting that there is a problem in the I.N.D.I alliance nowadays. Nitish has said (Congress leader) Rahul (Gandhi) does not have time (for I.N.D.I.A bloc) due to elections.” The statement of the BJP leader came a day after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar blamed Congress, saying all the members of the I.N.D.I alliance have been working together to strengthen the country’s grand old party, but it is “not interested in it right now.” Kumar further said Congress, “Not a lot of work (of I.N.D.I.A bloc) is being done right now because of Assembly polls in five states, and Congress is more interested in that.” The BJP leader claimed that Madhya Pradesh Congress president and former chief minister of the state Kamal Nath was on a sticky wicket in his home turf Chhindwara from where he will be contesting for the November 17 Assembly polls. “Here (in Madhya Pradesh), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Janata Dal (U), the Samajwadi Party (all constituents of the opposition bloc) have jumped into the poll fray,” Prasad said. The senior BJP politician accused leaders of the Congress, the biggest party in the I.N.D.I.A grouping, of playing drama in the name of opposition unity. “I was reading an interview of Kamal Nath in which he said I.N.D.I.A partners have virtually no stake in Madhya Pradesh, where there is a direct fight between the BJP and the Congress. Kamal Nath_ji_ and Rahul Gandhi_ji_, if the fight is direct then why you all were playing out a drama for the last six months for the INDIA alliance,” he quipped. Prasad further said the alliance of more than two dozen anti-BJP parties is getting scattered before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. “Patna meeting, Bengaluru meeting, Mumbai meeting , the general elections have not been announced and you are getting scattered,” the BJP leader said, taking a swipe at the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A). “This is a purely opportunistic alliance so it was bound to disintegrate. Yesterday, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav announced that if there is an alliance for 80 (Lok Sabha) seats (in Uttar Pradesh), his party will contest elections on 65 of them. He has said adjustments should be made for rest of the (15) seats,” Prasad said. The BJP leader further claimed Congress leader Nath, a former CM of Madhya Pradesh, is facing tough time in the Chhindwara assembly seat. “I went to Chhindwara yesterday (Thursday) and I want to tell you all that Kamal Nath_ji_ is in deep trouble in Chhindwara. Don’t be surprised if he loses elections. This was my observation during the visit,” Prasad said. With inputs from PTI