Cats, dogs, snakes to contest Indian polls!

Amit Shah, President of India's ruling  Bharatiya Janata Party, has sparked a row by likening the attempts of opposition parties to come together to take on his party in next year's parliamentary polls to 'snakes', 'mongoose', 'dogs' and 'cats'.

"The countdown for 2019 (polls) has begun. Attempts are being made for opposition unity. When huge floods occur, everything is washed away. Only a 'vatvriksha (banyan tree) survives and snakes, mongoose, dogs, cats and other animals climb to save themselves from the rising waters," Shah said addressing a rally in Mumbai on Friday .

"Due to Modi flood, all cats, dogs, snakes and mongoose are getting together to contest polls," Shah said, in an apparent dig at efforts being made by opposition parties to put up a united coalition to take on the Modi-led BJP in the next general elections.

Later, to clarify his remark, Shah told reporters that "what I meant was political parties having no ideological similarities are coming together out of fear of Modi." 

"Snake and mongoose have nothing in common. Let me take names: Samajwadi Party and BSP, Trinamool Congress and Congress, Chandrababu Naidu and Congress, they have nothing in common and no ideological similarities, but are coming together," the BJP president said.

Earlier, in his address at the rally on the occasion of the BJP's 38th Foundation Day, Shah expressed confidence that the BJP will win the 2019 general elections "not by giving hollow assurances but on the basis of work done by the Modi government." 

Opposition leaders condemned Amit Shah's remarks. "The remarks are condemnable. It shows their (BJP's) mindset. They have repeatedly dragged the political discourse to a new low," senior Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma said.

Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien also flayed the BJP chief for the remarks. "Of course we are political rivals but can we expect such language from the national president of the party in power? Basic courtesy? Too much to ask for?" he said.