Unseating BJP is prime goal, who will be the PM is immaterial: P Chidambaram

ET Now: The Congress party is ready to give up the prime minister’s post to stitch an anti-BJP alliance, senior party leader P Chidambaram told ET Now in an interview on Monday.

With less than two weeks to go for the results of the general elections, Chidambaram exuded confidence that after the elections, opposition parties like SP, BSP, TMC and parties in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana will stand together for a non-BJP alliance.

“I am confident that post poll, SP, BSP, TMC and other parties will realise that in order to form a non-BJP government, all of us have to come together,” he said. “We are prepared.

We have made it absolutely clear that as far as we are concerned, unseating BJP is the prime goal. Who will be prime minister is not material.” India’s former finance minister also lashed out at the government for the weakening economy and said the next government will have to arrest the decline and inspire confidence to revive the animal spirits in the economy. “Every economic indicator is pointing southwards,” he said. “Government data shows economic data is dismal, real GDP is down, fiscal deficit is high, private consumption is stagnant.

I’m sorry for the next finance minister.”

The four-time finance minister blamed the entire economic team of the Narendra Modi government for the slowdown after factory output contracted for the first time in two years, auto sales declined, FMCG companies were hit by weakening consumption demand, and manufacturing slackened. “The economy is in bad shape and the next FM will have to arrest the decline in economy and inspire confidence.

Neither PM nor his economic team inspire confidence currently,” he said.

Chidambaram also said the official Indian data has become hopelessly suspect, has zero credibility and will impact investments.

The issue of data credibility has come into the limelight again after a report by NSSO on the services sector indicated that 37% of the firms under MCA 21 database that is used to calculate GDP were either ghost companies or untraceable.

Chidambaram also questioned the government’s fiscal math. “The BJP government has claimed that in 2019-20 India’s fiscal deficit will be 3.4%.

It won’t be. Tax collection is falling short by 11%. Who is to talk about the quality of fiscal marksmanship, the BJP?”