Two days after the Congress indicated that it was keen that Rahul Gandhi be the prime ministerial face for the Opposition alliance, the party on Tuesday suggested that its main target in the 2019 Lok Sabha election would be to "defeat the RSS-backed BJP'' for which it would "bring all the Opposition parties together".

"We will bring all the Opposition parties together. Let us get together to defeat BJP. That is important as of now. Let us see how the dice rolls (post elections)," said a source, indicating that the Congress would not insist on declaring Rahul as the prime ministerial candidate for the Opposition alliance.

According to sources in the party, the success of an alliance of Opposition parties would depend on the tie-ups in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. "If we manage to bring in the alliances, Modi and the BJP will not be able to make it in 2019. If the BJP does not make 230-240 seats, Modi cannot be the Prime Minister. He will not be able to make it if these alliances work," the source said.

The shift in the party's stand — that it is not particular on Rahul becoming the Prime Minister — came on a day BSP chief Mayawati announced that her party would join the alliance only if it gets a "respectable" number of seats in the seat-sharing arrangement. The source added that the Congress is open to the candidature of anybody, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee or Mayawati, for the top slot.

(Featured Image – Hindustan Times)