Congress, JDS will fight 2019 Lok Sabha elections in alliance

NEW DELHI: After the success in Karnataka, the Congress and the Janata Dal Secular (JDS) have decided to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in an alliance. Congress leader KC Venugopal said while speaking to reporters on Friday.

The decision comes days after the two parties formed a post-poll alliance in Karnataka and formed the government in the state. The JDS with 38 seats and the Congress with 78 seats were together able to topple the two-day government of the BJP which had emerged as the single largest party in Karnataka. BJP's BS Yeddyurappa had staked claim to form government and was sworn in as the CM but had to resign within two days as he could not prove his majority.

In its efforts to defeat the BJP, the Congress is also keen on joining hands with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for the upcoming Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. As per Zee News sources, the Congress and the BSP have joined hands for the assembly polls.

The probable Congress, BSP alliance is seen as an attempt to garner Dalit votes in the states. Sources add that the Congress has already agreed to give 30 Vidhan Sabha seats to the BSP for the elections in Madhya Pradesh. The two parties are yet to finalise the seat-sharing agreement in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

Leaders of several opposition parties had gathered for Kumaraswamy's swearing-in ceremony. United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi, BSP chief Mayawati, Weste Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav were also among those in attendance.

All the leaders present at the event, posed for a photograph holding each other's hands - giving the perfect moment to showcase how the entire opposition stood united against the saffron party.