Will BJP, NDA form the next government? Here is Azad’s take

Patna, May 16: Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad claimed that neither BJP nor NDA will form the government at the Centre after the Lok Sabha elections.

Narendra Modi will not become prime minister for second time after the election as a non-NDA, non-BJP government will be formed at the Centre, he claimed.

"We are in the last phase of elections and I can say on the basis of my experience during campaigning across the country that neither BJP nor NDA is going to return to power at the Centre.

"Narendra Modi is also not going to become the prime minster for the second time ... Non-NDA non-BJP government will be installed at the Centre after the Lok Sabha elections," he told reporters here.

Azad said it will be good if there is a consensus on Congress leader's name for heading the government at the Centre after the Lok Sabha election results are out but "we are not going to make it an issue that we (Cong) will not let any other (leader) to become the PM, if it is not offered to us (Cong)."

The Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha said the sole objective of the Congress is to stop the NDA from forming the government at the Centre and installing a non-NDA government.

BJP would be reduced to 125 Lok Sabha seats, he claimed while refusing to divulge as how many seats Congress will win in the elections.

Azad said the BJP has been "thoroughly exposed" after coming to power at the Centre in 2014 as it has followed its ideology of "creating hatred and divide" in the society.

He said the BJP government's policy and principle have been exposed as the party of "capitalists and industrialists".

Azad alleged that the BJP government has followed a "pro-rich" policy.

All the major sections of the society - farmers, youths, women and labourers are depressed a lot today because of the "wrong" policy of the Central government, he said, adding that youths were "promised" 10 crore jobs by Narendra Modi in five years but it instead snatched 4.73 crore jobs due to demonetization and faulty implementation of GST.

Taking a swipe at PM's statement on science related issues, he said that "After seeing the PM's statement relating to science, I think I should commit suicide."

Azad condemned the smashing of the bust of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, a noted philosopher and a key figure of Bengal Renaissance, during the clash between BJP and TMC supporters during Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata on Tuesday and said stern action should be taken against those responsible for it.