No party will get majority in 2019, predicts NCP chief Sharad Pawar

NCP chief Sharad Pawar said that no one will be projected as prime ministerial candidate by the Opposition for the upcoming 2019 elections.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar Tuesday indicated that a national level pre-poll opposition alliance for the 2019 general elections was unlikely but said he was trying to bring the non-BJP parties together on a common platform in a bid to defeat the ruling NDA.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar Tuesday indicated that a national level pre-poll opposition alliance for the 2019 general elections was unlikely but said he was trying to bring the non-BJP parties together on a common platform in a bid to defeat the ruling NDA. (HJt file Photo)

Pawar was speaking at ‘Mumbai Manthan’ organised by news channel Aaj Tak in Mumbai.

“Today’s political situation is much more like the one in 2004. It does not seem possible for a single party to remain in power in 2019. No party would have that mandate,” Pawar said.

“It will be like 2004 when no party got the majority but a government under Manmohan Singh was formed and continued to rule for 10 years”.

Pawar also rejected the theory of grand alliance of opposition parties at national level adding that the situation would be different in each state and regional parties would play significant role.

He further said that no one will be projected as prime ministerial candidate by the Opposition for the upcoming 2019 elections. In fact, even the Congress leadership is of the same view and PM will be decided by the coalition partners after the elections, he pointed out.

He also criticized Modi government over the ongoing row in the CBI.

He also said leaders like H D Deve Gowda and Inder Kumar Gujral became prime ministers by “accident” and that he did not want to be part of “accidents”.