Amid reports that the SP and the BSP might leave the Congress out from an alliance in Uttar Pradesh, senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid said Sunday if his party is excluded from the coalition in the state, any nationwide anti-BJP front will be “weakened” and it may lead to a “stillborn situation”.

Khurshid said cobbling together a grand alliance in UP will be the “trickiest” exercise for all opposition parties in the state and asserted it was crucial for the Congress, the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) to join forces to put up a formidable challenge against the BJP.

In an interview, the former UP Congress chief said the situation in the state was “fluid” and party chief Rahul Gandhi was taking a “cautiously optimistic view”, while keeping his heart and mind open for alliances for upcoming general election in 2019.

Asked about reports that the SP and the BSP may leave out the Congress from the alliance in UP, Khurshid said, “I think it is a little bit of posturing, but I can’t say for sure..I have no reason to believe it to be true or not to be true, but it will be myopic if the Congress is kept out of the alliance in UP because it may have an impact on the larger alliance nationwide.”

Alliance nationwide get weakened if UP does not contribute in a wholesome manner : Salman Khurshid

“If UP does not contribute in a wholesome manner to the larger alliance nationwide then the alliance nationwide itself will get weakened and it may cause a stillborn situation,” he said.
The 65-year-old leader expressed optimism over forging of the grand alliance in the state and said it will be the best thing that can happen to the Indian politics.

Each one of us will have to give and take, there can’t be just a take-take or give-give position. So, with a give and take of the right kind among all four of us, we will put up a good fight to the BJP. If it doesn’t happen, it will be a historic loss,” the former Union minister asserted.

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