BJP, Cong won’t form govt in 2019; future of regional parties bright: Satpathy

As the Modi dispensation nears completion of two years in office, an opposition MP foresees failure of both BJP and Congress in the next Lok Sabha polls as he claimed that the future of regional parties is “bright” and the upcoming assembly elections will be a “litmus test for regionalisation of Indian politics”.

“(Prime Minister Narendra) Modi’s charisma is declining. Congress’ acceptability is very low, non-existent... The next government in Delhi in 2019, as I foresee, will not belong to either of the national parties,” said Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Tathagata Satpathy.

In this backdrop, 2019 will see a historic election which will make this country politically “more alert and aware”, he said.

“The old adage of regional satraps fighting each other for Prime Minitership may not hold good forever... 2019 may throw up a new kind of leadership where mindset of people like Mulayam Singh Yadav would be a thing of the past,” he said to a question on the leadership of the front of regional parties.

“My BJD, led by Naveen Patnaik, is a frontal party,” he said.

The four-time MP from Dhenkanal in Odisha said the future of regional parties is “bright”. “The victory of BJP in 2014 was more because of the defeat of Congress. It was Congress which the people wanted to throw out,” Tathagata Satpathy said.