Opposition grand alliance an eyewash, will flop in 2019: Amit Shah

Amit Shah termed the proposed alliance a “facade”, and an “eyewash” which comprised parties that the BJP had defeated one after the other since the 2014 general elections

The opposition “Mahagatbandhan” (grand alliance) is built on “lies” and will flop in the 2019 general elections, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah said on Saturday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and senior leader LK Advani during BJP National Executive Meeting, in New Delhi. (PTI)

In his address on the opening day of the two-day meeting of the BJP national executive, the party’s highest decision-making body, he termed the proposed alliance a “facade”, and an “eyewash” which comprised parties that the BJP had defeated one after the other since the 2014 general elections, as per Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Briefing the press about his speech, she said Shah had also asked party activists to tell the people of the “truth” of the opposition alliance and the achievements of the Narendra Modi government since it came to power.

Sitharaman also said that Shah mourned the absence of late former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was one of its founding members, in the first executive meeting after his death, Shah saying that the void he left could never be filled.

She said that Shah had also spoken about the devastating floods in Kerala and elsewhere and asked all sections to help in relief and rehabilitation of the affected people.