The Congress will continue to reach out to like-minded parties to form an anti-BJP alliance at the national level, veteran Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said on Saturday.

He was reacting to the Congress not figuring in the SP-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh.

“It’s left to them (SP and BSP), but at the national level, our intention is to bring anti-BJP, like-minded parties together. There’s still time. We will try to bring secular parties together,” Kharge told reporters. “Let’s see what happens. There are powers at play in every state and we’ll have to recognise that.”

Kharge, leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, slammed the BJP over the prophecy that the Congress-JD(S) coalition in Karnataka will collapse after Sankranti. “It looks like the BJP is daydreaming. Will 18 MLAs resign? Is that even possible? Nothing will happen after Sankranti,” Kharge asserted.

On the disgruntlement within the Congress over the expansion of the Cabinet and appointments to boards/corporations, Kharge said it was only natural for differences to crop up. “Yes, some may be upset that they didn’t get anything. But will they leave the party because of that?,” he said.