Congress hopes to form state-wise coalitions to ensure victory of 'Mahagathbandhan': P Chidambaram

Former Union minister P Chidambaram is the head of Congress party's manifesto committee.

INDORE: Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister P Chidambaram has said that his party hopes to form state-wise coalitions ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls and remains confident of forging an electoral alliance with like-minded parties.

The former Finance Minister said that if the Congress-led coalition wins in each state, it would ensure the victory of the Grand Alliance or the 'Mahagathbandhan' in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

''We hope to form state-wise coalitions and if the coalition wins in each state then that is the victory of the 'Mahagathbandhan'. We are confident that we can form coalitions in each state,'' Chidambaram was quoted as saying by ANI.

We hope to form state-wise coalitions and if the coalition wins in each state then that is the victory of the 'Mahagathbandhan'. We are confident that we can form coalitions in each state: Congress leader P Chidambaram on 2019 Lok Sabha elections, in Madhya Pradesh's Indore pic.twitter.com/5zlQpky6xW — ANI (@ANI) November 11, 2018

The Congress veteran made these remarks in Indore in the poll-bound Madhya Pradesh.

Defending the Congress's manifesto promising to restrict RSS shakhas in government offices in Madhya Pradesh, Chidambaram said that there was nothing wrong in it and maintained that governments servants, as long as they are working, shouldn't openly associate with a political party.

''RSS is a political organisation. If Congress party in MP in their manifesto has said that it will put an end to this practice, I see nothing wrong with that. Governments servants as long as they are working in government shouldn't openly associate with a political party,'' Chidambaram said.

RSS is a political org. If Congress party in MP in their manifesto has said it will put an end to this practice, I see nothing wrong with that. Governments servants as long as they are working in govt shouldn't openly associate with a political party: Congress's P Chidambaram pic.twitter.com/14RinugpsI — ANI (@ANI) November 11, 2018

Earlier, attacking the ruling BJP dispensation, Chidambaram had said that the saffron party tries to polarise the nation over Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid issue right before elections after every five years.

“This is a familiar story. Every five years before elections, BJP will try to polarise views on Ram Mandir. Congress party's position is that the matter is before SC, everyone should wait until SC decides questions before SC. I don't think we should jump the gun,” said the former Union minister, as reported by ANI. 

The former finance minister, who heads manifesto committee of the Congress, said that lack of jobs, the safety of women and children and price rise are among the major issues that will haunt the ruling BJP in the coming elections.

Chidambaram said these words shortly after the Supreme Court moved the hearing on the case to January 2019.

A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, said an "appropriate bench" will decide January next year the future course of hearing on the appeals filed against the Allahabad High Court verdict in the Ayodhya land dispute case. 

"We will fix the date of hearing of the Ayodhya dispute case before the appropriate bench in January," the bench, which also comprised Justices S K Kaul and KM Joseph, said.

Earlier, a three-judge bench, by a 2:1 majority, refused to refer to a five-judge constitution bench the issue of reconsideration of the observations in its 1994 judgement that a mosque was not integral to Islam. The matter had arisen during the hearing of the Ayodhya land dispute.