Rahul Gandhi meets NCP chief Sharad Pawar to forge anti-BJP alliance ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha elections

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday met NCP chief Sharad Pawar in order to bring together anti-BJP parties ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The effort came hours after BJP's defeat against the combined force of the Samajwadi Party and Mayawati's BSP at Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh.

According to reports, Rahul met the veteran leader at his residence and is expected to forge an alliance to challenge the BJP and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, in the 2019 general elections. Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya was also a part of the meeting.

There are also reports that both Rahul and Pawar will meet Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during her Delhi visit later this month.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi met NCP Chief Sharad Pawar yesterday evening. (file pics) pic.twitter.com/4RovVuA72r

— ANI (@ANI) March 15, 2018

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Earlier, on Tuesday, leaders of 20 opposition parties got together at a dinner hosted by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to explore the possibility of forging a broader unity among secular parties ahead of the 2019 elections. Leaders of NCP, RJD, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Trinamool Congress, DMK and Left parties attended the dinner among others.

While BJP has just lost two of its vital parliamentary strongholds in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, Shiv Sena has decided to go alone in the Lok Sabha election, 2019. Hence, BJP is expected to have a tough time in Maharashtra too.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has termed their defeat as a lesson to the party which would do an introspection.

Rahul and Mamata did not take much time to praise the glorious win of the oppositions, while RJD's Tejashwi Yadav and veteran socialist leader Sharad Yadav called for a Grand Alliance at the national level to take on Narendra Modi-led BJP.

Also Read: Sonia Gandhi hosts dinner for 17 Opposition leaders at 10 Janpath

RJD defeated the Janata Dal-United (JD-U), an NDA ally on Araria Lok Sabha seat in Bihar. They had the backing of the Congress in the Bihar Lok Sabha election.

On the other hand, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao is trying to reach out to party leaders for anti-congress, anti-BJP alliance, a move, which is supported by Mamata Banerjee.