New Delhi,(Samajweekly) Stressing that at the moment he sees no credible force that can take on the BJP or pose a challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former JD-U National General Secretary Pavan Varma says, “The biggest disappointment has been the Congress party’s unwillingness and inability to reinvent itself. As far as the emergence of a third front is concerned, let us not forget that the opposition is completely scattered and divided. Not to mention, the single largest opposition party is hopelessly adrift.”
Talking about the Assembly polls in Bihar, scheduled to be held in October, the former diplomat and writer is not sure how such a massive exercise could be undertaken in face of the coronavirus pandemic. “But talking of perception, at the moment, there doesn’t seem to be any real opposition to the BJP-JDU combine there,” he told IANS.
Expelled from JD-U in January this year after he opposed the party’s stand on the Citizenship Amendment Act, Varma says that he is yet to decide on his next political move. “Many decisions had to be deferred due to corona. Frankly, I am using that time for a great deal of research and writing of my book. I will make a decision on what and where I wish to proceed in some time.”
Talking about his long association with the JD-U, Varma stressed that he has great memories of his time with the JD-U. “Despite the differences we had in the end, I am grateful to Nitish Kumar for having given me the opportunity to enter public life after I resigned from the foreign service.”
