Telangana: Revanth Reddy invites CMs of Opposition bloc to oath event; 17 INDIA parties attend Kharge dinner

While leaders of the Trinamool Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) did not attend the dinner hosted by Kharge at his residence, leaders of the alliance said the meeting was cordial and asserted that the parties have now resolved to forget the recent rancour and move on.

Thirty-one leaders from 17 parties, including DMK, NCP, RJD, SP, JD(U), AAP, CPM, CPI, Muslim League, MDMK, RLD, Kerala Congress (M), JMM, National Conference, RSP and VCK, attended the dinner meeting.

“A Parliamentary strategy meeting of like-minded parties of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha floor leaders was held at 10, Rajaji Marg. We will take up the issues of the people in the Parliament, in the remaining part of this session to make the government accountable. A date for the meeting of INDIA parties will soon be fixed, in consultation with the leaders of all parties,” Kharge posted on ‘X’.

Pointing out that all is well, sources in the Trinamool Congress said its Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien will represent West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Reddy’s oath-taking. They played down the absence of TMC at the dinner, saying the party was in agreement with the broad floor strategy which has already been decided. “There was nothing more to discuss,” a leader said.

While the meeting was cordial, Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, citing the objectionable remarks made by DMK MP DNV Senthilkumar in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, did point out that leaders and MPs of the alliance should exercise restraint. Such remarks, they said, give the BJP the political ammunition to target the alliance.

Aam Aadmi Party’s Raghav Chaddha flagged the delay in holding of a meeting of heads of parties of the INDIA alliance after the Mumbai conclave on September 1.

The tendency of parties to bring their state-level differences to the national level also came up for mention by some leaders. Although the date and venue for the fourth meeting of the alliance was not decided, all the parties agreed to meet as early as possible at a date mutually convenient to all. Kharge and Rahul will reach to all the leaders soon.

The parties decided to coordinate their floor strategy in Parliament, especially on the discussion on the three Bills which will replace the IPC, CrPC and the Evidence Act, the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill and Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill which were passed by Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

The parties decided to demand that the three Bills to replace IPC, CrPC and Evidence Act be referred to a joint Select Committee. The Bills have already been scrutinised by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs and the government is unlikely to accept the opposition demand.