By Prarthana Mitra
UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi hosted a dinner Tuesday night for 17 opposition parties to discuss the possibility of uniting against the BJP-led NDA in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections by forging an alliance. Gandhi was keen to set aside individual differences and personal interests, and work together in the larger interest of keeping the BJP out of power after the end of its first term.
Anti-BJP cooperation
According to The Quint, prominent members of the Congress including party president Rahul Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ahmed Patel, Mallikarjun Kharge and A.K. Antony were seen in conversation with leaders from other opposition parties during the dinner. Among those who attended were the Nationalist Congress Partys Sharad Pawer, Omar Abdullah of the National Conference, the Janata Dal Uniteds Sharad Yadav, forMER Bihari chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi (who recently exited the NDA camp to join Bihars mahagathbandhan), Satish Mishra of the Bahujan Samaj Party, Babulal Marandi of the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha and Badruddin Ajmal of the All India United Democratic Front.
Other prominent figures who were seen at the gathering last night included Sudip Bandyopadhyay of the Trinamool Congress, the DMK’s Kanimozhi and Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, along with some of their regional rivals leaders of left-wing parties like CPI-M’s Sitaram Yechury and the CPI’s D. Raja.
According to The Times of India, leaders from the Janata Dal (Secular), Kerala Congress, Indian Union Muslim League, Revolutionary Socialist Party and Rashtriya Lok Dal were also present. Former deputy chief minister of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav also attended, calling the dinner a step forwards towards opposition unity.
Setting the tone for opposition unity
Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala addressed the media post-event, saying that the dinner should not be viewed from the prism of politicsit was for friendship, amity and better dialogue between parties, he claimed.
Rahul Gandhi tweeted after the dinner that there was much political talk but also tremendous positive energy, warmth and genuine affection.
Previous attempts to mobilise the opposition against the BJP made no progress due to ego clashes between volatile leaders who put regional interests over national interest. But the extent and sweep of BJPs victories over the last couple of years appears to have spurred the opposition into action.