New Delhi: Testing the waters for a grand alliance against the Modi government, Opposition parties, including the Congress, Left parties and the socialist block came together on a common platform on Monday, calling for a united, ideological fight against the current dispensation.

Using the occasion of veteran socialist leader Madhu Limaye’s 95th birth anniversary, the Left as well as socialist parties like the JD-U, JD-S, BSP and RLD put behind their anti-Congress stance and said that the need of the hour was an anti-BJP, anti-RSS alliance. The Nationalist Congress Party was also in attendance.

The parties shared the dais under the banner of “Unity of Progressive Forces”. May 1 is also observed worldwide as International Labour Day. Senior leader Digvijay Singh, who represented the Congress, said that the need was for an ideological and not personality-based fight. “The grand alliance needs to be defined. Otherwise it would become Modi versus the rest,” he said, and added, “There is a personality cult as of now.”

Rahul launches poll campaign in Gujarat
Launching his party’s poll campaign in Gujarat, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi vowed to fight the state assembly elections "with full force" and defeat the BJP. Addressing a huge rally in this tribal-dominated area of Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gandhi took a jibe at him over "Mann ki Baat" programme and said the PM believed only in making people listen to him, instead of listening to the people. "The Congress will fight this election with full force and defeat Narendra Modi and the BJP here," he said.