Anti-BJP sentiment has brought rivals together: Yechury

The anti-BJP sentiment has brought together "natural rivals" in several states to defeat the saffron party for the first time, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury Monday said and asserted that the 2019 Lok Sabha polls will witness "political polarisation" between the ruling party and its opponents.

Yechury said this "political churning" has split both parties and voters in two groups - those for the BJP and those against it and asserted that the saffron party cannot win the elections by "exploiting" the security forces and the surgical strikes.

In an interview to PTI, he claimed that the "disarray" among the opposition parties was being "blown out of proportion" and asserted that BJP was facing similar issues with four of its allies leaving their ranks.

"There is a political polarisation happening across the country. One issue that is coming clearly is that BJP has to be removed. The opposition is looking beyond local gains.

"If they (parties) were thinking of local politics then there is no way SP-BSP could come together, Telegu Desam and Congress could come together in Telengana. Telegu Desam was formed and grown as an opposition to Congress. Even sworn enemies in Karnataka, the JDS and Congress have come together. They have come together against the BJP," he said.

Yechury said the "disarray" of the opposition parties was being blown out of proportion.

"Why are you focussing only on the disarray on the side of the opposition only? Even BJP's allies have left them, joined other parties. Their personalities like Shatrughan Sinka and Kirti Azad will now fight on Congress tickets.

"The opposition was not one party anyway, the desertion of BJP's allies is the story here. This time natural enemies have come together to fight the BJP," he said.

Underplaying the gains of the BJP on the nationalism plank, Yechury said that even the saffron party knows that it can't win elections by "exploiting" the security forces and the surgical strikes.

"The fact that Modi had to talk about the satellites shows his desperation. Elections cannot be won on emotions. It depends on how people perceive their lives to be in reality.

"Modi has tried everything to appeal to the emotions of the people, be it Balakot, the surgical strikes and now the satellite. They (BJP) said no one had done it earlier. If they are that brave why did they wait for five years? He had come to power with 56 inch chest, then why did it take him so much time to show his bravery?," Yechury asked.

He said it is clear that trying to influence people emotionally is not working.

"For a Dalit the question about his existence, the Muslim and other minorities are asking if the attacks on them will stop," he said.

He said that there was a time when after the 'Shining India' campaign, no one thought Atal Bihari Vajpayee could lose, but he did.

While sidestepping questions about who his party will ally with - the Congress or the TMC- if such a situation arises, Yechury said traditionally, it was post poll formations which have formed governments in the country and expressed hope that 2019 won't be anything different.

"What happens is - before the elections, understandings and adjustments will happen at state level...In some states it will happen, some states it won't. The alternative that will form the government at the Centre...that formation is always formed post elections.

"Since 1977 it has happened. The Janata Party was formed after the elections, in 1996 the United Front was formed after defeating the trust vote of Vajpayee and then Deve Gowda became PM. In 1998 the NDA formed the government and in 2004 the UPA did the same... 2019 will follow a similar pattern," he said.