Pawar's offer to Shiv Sena: Come and join opposition against BJP for 2019 LS elections

MUMBAI: NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Monday asked the Shiv Sena to join hands with the opposition parties the against the BJP in next year's Lok Sabha polls. All those parties who believe in democracy and having a common minimum programme (CMP) should come together in 2019 polls, he said. "In Palghar Lok Sabha bypolls, Shiv Sena, CPIM and Bahujan Vikas Aghadi were polled more votes than the BJP. Hence, the opposition parties should unite against the BJP," he claimed. He said non-NDA national and regional parties that have a strong base in their respective regions should arrive at an understanding to come together. Dealing a blow to the BJP, opposition parties last week emerged victorious in 11 out of the 14 Lok Sabha and Assembly bypolls, while limiting the saffron party and its allies to just three. Most of the "bypoll results went against the ruling party (BJP). This is not a small thing," he said after meeting the newly-elected Lok Sabha member from Bhandara-Gondiya Madhukar Kukade, who belongs to his party. "There have been some occasions earlier where bypoll defeats have culminated into the defeat of the government of the time," the veteran former union minister told reporters here. The NCP chief, who was earlier in the Congress, recalled that in 1977 too, the opposition unity had resulted in the defeat of the then Congress government led by Indira Gandhi and said a similar situation was prevailing now. (With inputs from PTI)