New Delhi:
Congress vice president
Rahul Gandhi today dismissed as mere "projection" the suggestion that no allies are coming to the Congress and said that the cap fits the BJP-led NDA as its former allies are not supporting
Narendra Modi's candidature.
"Large number of previous NDA allies are not supporting the current candidate. They include BJD, Nitish Kumar (JD-U) and there are many others. It's true that we do not have an alliance in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. But Congress has an alliance with NCP, RJD, RLD and JMM (in Maharashtra, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand).
"The BJP does not have alliances. That is a fact but the projection is different. The projection is that Congress does not have allies," Mr Gandhi said seeking to dispel the notion that his party is turning friendless in the run up to the Lok Sabha polls.
The 2014 Lok Sabha elections are considered a difficult election for the party battling a ten-year-long anti-incumbency.
Senior leader AK Antony, who heads the Congress panel on alliances, was on the dais when Mr Gandhi answered the query.
There has been a view in sections of the party that the alliance managers in the party dragged the issue and had timely decisions been taken, Ram Vilas Paswan's LJP would not have joined the NDA.
The Congress, which was hopeful of the merger of K Chandrasekhar Rao's TRS, was in for a shock as the party has ruled out even an alliance with it now. (
Mind made up, no alliance with Congress, says Telangana's KCR)
In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP succeeded in finalising alliance with Apna Dal, which was having seat sharing negotiations with the Congress.
Similarly, the BJP managed a grand alliance with smaller parties like DMDK and PMK in Tamil Nadu. There was earlier talk of Congress eyeing a tie-up with DMDK. (
BJP reveals five allies in Tamil Nadu, Captain is main partner)