Cong must respect smaller parties for rainbow coalition, says Jayant Chaudhary

New Delhi: The Congress will have to be “most accommodating” and give respect and support to the smaller parties for a “true rainbow coalition” to emerge, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) vice-president Jayant Chaudhary said Sunday. He, however, expressed confidence that a series of state-specific alliances, where like-minded parties would come together on an anti-BJP platform, was likely for the 2019 general election.

“Farm distress will be a key issue in our campaign,” Mr Chaudhary told PTI in an interview.

RLD candidate Tabassum Hasan, who was supported by the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Congress, had triumphed over her Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rival in the Kairana bypoll earlier this year and the Ajit Singh-led party has been advocating a “grand alliance” in Uttar Pradesh to take on the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Mr Chaudhary, the son of RLD president Ajit Singh and the grandson of former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, said both he and his father will contest the 2019 election. However, he added that the constituencies would be announced later.

On the BSP’s decision to go alone in the Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Assembly polls, he said BSP chief Mayawati had communicated her party’s decision with regard to the state polls through her statement. Asked if the Congress would have to be more accommodating to give enough space to the regional parties, Chaudhary said, “The Congress is the largest Opposition party in Parliament today. Definitely, it will have to be most accommodating and give respect and support to the smaller parties for a true rainbow coalition to emerge. But also, to increase the size of the pie, I think all the partners will need to not stress on individual sizes as much.” Talking about the farmers’ march to Delhi last week, the RLD leader said the demands raised during the “yatra” received a huge support.

“In the past, there have been many social agitations in Delhi with a large number of people extending support. However, never have we seen a government so fearful of opposing voices,” he said.