Cong open to PM candidate from allies: Sources

New Delhi: The Indian National Congress is averse to the idea of projecting anyone including its chief Rahul Gandhi as Prime Ministerial candidate against Narendra Modi in 2019 Lok Sabha election.

Highly placed sources of the party indicated on Friday that top leadership of the party is in consultation with all "ideologically like-minded parties" to form a state-specific alliance against BJP in coming Lok Sabha election. The sources further informed that in principle they have formed a formula for seat-sharing arrangement in the major states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Maharashtra. He said, "If the alliance works well in these states then it's for sure that BJP would not come into power next time."'

The formula the Congress party has started consultation with the most of the opposition parties is that whoever wanted to defeat BJP-RSS should come together. After the poll, the number of seats should decide the next Prime Minister of the country. In this alliance, the Congress is opposed to including neither Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's party nor Shiv Sena of Maharashtra. But sources indicated that Congress president was open to some smaller parties in the alliance in the states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

The sources also said it's almost certain now that Modi would not be Prime Minister next time. Even if BJP gets less than 230 seats, NDA alliance partner like Akali, Shiv Sena would force someone else from BJP to become Prime Minister. On that condition, some parties like Telegu Desam Party might join the new NDA. Sources in the Congress party cleared the confusion created about the Prime Ministerial candidate of the opposition grouping and said that if Congress party becomes single largest among the opposition then Congress party want to stake claim first. He is hopeful that the issue of PM is not now a bone of contention among then opposition parties. Because everyone feels that this is the high-time to keep away BJP-RSS from the Government.

When asked whether Congress party has set any target for next Lok Sabha poll, the sources said, "Like BJP we don't set a target like mission XYZ. But we know that in many of the states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka, Congress would be the main player. And this we are confident that the number of seats of the party would increase in substantial number."

While asked about the alliance in other states, the sources said the party would go by the recommendation of the state unit. As State party of Telangana, Delhi wants to contest alone. "What about West Bengal? He replied, "We will go by the advice of the state party." "Can he play a role to make a bridge between Sitaram Yechury and Mamata Banerjee. The answer was please ask them. According to the assessment of the party people from different sections of the society are not happy with the performance of the Modi Government. And they are waiting to vote out this "anti-people government".

The main plank of the Congress party would be highlighting the failure of Central Government's massive unemployment, agricultural crisis and the economic crisis created after implementation of

GST and demonetisation, where a sizable section of the small traders had been badly affected.