4 min readNew DelhiMay 23, 2023 10:44 AM IST
First published on: May 23, 2023 at 07:33 AM IST
Efforts to forge unity in the Opposition ranks have gained momentum with the Congress asserting that a “vast majority” of non-BJP parties will meet soon. The Congress’s comments came on Monday after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met its president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi.
The Congress also signalled that it was open to joining like-minded parties in opposing in Parliament a Bill that the BJP government is likely to table to replace its controversial ordinance seeking to regain control over administrative services in Delhi.
But the party insisted that it has not taken a view on the ordinance yet, and will take a call in consultation with other Opposition parties when the Bill comes up in Parliament.
“The Congress party has not taken any decision on the issue of the ordinance brought against the SC judgment on the powers of the Government of NCT of Delhi with respect to appointment of officers. It will consult its state units and other like-minded parties on the same… The party believes in the rule of law and, at the same time, does not condone unnecessary confrontation, political witch-hunt and campaigns based on lies against political opponents by any political party,” tweeted All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal.
Nitish apprised the Congress leadership of his discussions with several key Opposition leaders over the last month. The leaders agreed that it was time to convene a conclave of like-minded parties. “We had a detailed discussion about the Opposition parties’ meeting. We will decide the date and place of the meeting within one or two days. A vast majority of the parties will attend,” Venugopal told reporters after the meeting.
While Nitish wants the meeting to be held in Patna, sources in the Congress said the venue and date can be decided at the convenience of all other leaders. Sources said some of the leaders were set to travel abroad.
For instance, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin is leaving for a nine-day trip to Singapore and Japan on Tuesday. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi too is going abroad next week. Rahul Gandhi is also leaving for the US on May 28 to attend a programme at Stanford University and address a gathering of the Indian diaspora.
Nitish’s meeting with the Congress leadership came a day after he met Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal. Supporting Kejriwal in his ongoing tussle with the Centre over the ordinance, Nitish emphasised the need for all parties to come together to stop the Centre from changing the Constitution to its advantage.
Sources in the Congress said the party had always spoken out against any “assault” on federalism, attempts to “trample over the rights of states”, and “attacks against elected state governments”.
“The country will be united now. The strength of democracy is our message. Rahul Gandhi and I discussed the current political situation with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today and took forward the process of giving a new direction to the country,” Kharge tweeted after the meeting.
Nitish was accompanied by his JD(U) president Lalan Singh. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav could not attend the meeting as he was learnt to be unwell.
After meeting Kharge and Rahul last month, Nitish held meetings with Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. He also held discussions with Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja.
In a show of Opposition unity, Nitish, Tejashwi, Soren, Pawar, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah also attended the swearing-in ceremony of Siddaramaiah as the Karnataka Chief Minister on Saturday. While some regional leaders, including Kejriwal and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, were not invited, Nitish has been trying to bring them on board as well.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar interacts with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during a meeting, in New Delhi, Monday, May 22, 2023. (PTI Photo/Kamal Kishore) 
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