NEW DELHI: NCP chief Sharad Pawar believes Congress should focus on states where it is strong while letting regional players take charge in their strongholds in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to ensure the opposition maximises its chances of challenging BJP.

He is learnt to have discussed issues of opposition strategy in his discussions with BSP chief Mayawati on Wednesday evening, a meeting that added an important chapter to the ongoing confabulations among anti-BJP parties regarding the 2019 polls.

Pawar tweeted a picture with Mayawati and BSP general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra after the meeting, setting off speculation. Though he is learnt to have underscored the need to accommodate Congress, his view on letting regional parties hold sway on their turf partly resonates with Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee 's arguments.

According to sources, Pawar believes Congress has a lead role in opposition politics and has a presence across the country, which no party should ignore while hammering out unity in the opposition bloc. He is learnt to have asked Mayawati to ensure that while BSP and SP join hands in UP, they don't leave Congress out of the mix because of the latter's national status. It would mean that Pawar is in favour of BSP allying with Congress in the end-year assembly elections in three key BJP-ruled states.

