With the Congress making it clear that in Parliament it will oppose the Central ordinance taking over services from the Delhi government, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday announced it would attend the two-day conclave of 24 Opposition parties starting Monday in Bengaluru, where issues such as seat sharing and greater coordination and communication among the parties will be discussed. The parties will also deliberate on whether to give the grouping a formal name and draw up a common programme but they seem to be divided on both issues. Some of the parties believe it is too early to give the grouping a formal name. Some believe it could also be counter-productive. A section of the parties believes that giving the grouping a name and structure will display a sense of purpose. The key issue on the table will be seat sharing. A day before the conclave, the parties heaved a sigh of relief as the AAP declared it would be in attendance. The announcement came after the Congress made it clear it would oppose the Delhi ordinance in Parliament. The Congress signalled on Saturday that it would oppose the ordinance but the AAP wanted a more clearer statement. Sources said some of the parties such as the Trinamool Congress (TMC) worked behind the scenes to nudge the Congress to make its stand public. “Our stand is very clear. From day one, we had been saying that the BJP government’s attitude of bulldozing states is not at all acceptable to the Congress. India being a federal system, we don’t support using the Governors and Lt Governors for snatching away the powers of Opposition-ruled states. As far as the Delhi ordinance is concerned, we said clearly that our Parliamentary Strategy Group would meet before the session and we would discuss and decide on the Bills, which Bill we are supporting and which Bill we are opposing … In that meeting, we decided we cannot support this attack on federalism, attack on the independent powers of the state governments,” All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal told The Indian Express. Sources said the meeting in Bengaluru would take forward the deliberations in Patna on June 23. “We have to strengthen the bonds between the parties, narrow down differences, and improve inter-party communication,” said a senior Opposition leader. On Monday, the leaders of the parties will sit down for “informal discussions” in the evening and then attend a dinner hosted by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The broad agenda for the talks on Tuesday will be set at Monday’s informal meeting. “Of course, we need to talk about seat sharing,” said one leader. Another leader said the parties would take forward the discussions on holding joint programmes such as rallies and identifying common issues of concern, “issues on which the parties can coordinate and unite, drawing up a programme if not written”. As one leader said, “We need to identify areas of cooperation.” “The mission is clear — work unselfishly, unitedly, and present the India we cherish with a vision for 2024 and beyond,” said TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien. The big question is whether the parties will give the grouping a formal name and a structure by appointing a chairperson or convenor. While TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is unlikely to attend the dinner, she and other top leaders such as United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and heads of all the parties would be present on Tuesday. The AAP’s decision to attend the meeting has come as a relief for most of the parties. The decision was taken at the party’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC) meeting on Sunday afternoon. “The Delhi ordinance is an anti-national law. Everyone who supports the ordinance is anti-national. Every person and party that loves the country will stand in opposition to the ordinance and will support its defeat. Arvind Kejriwal ji has reached out to several parties to defeat the ordinance in the Rajya Sabha and many of them have offered their support … Congress too has made its position clear against the ordinance. We welcome this announcement and we will attend the meeting of like-minded parties in Bangalore on July 17 and 18,” PAC member and Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha said after the meeting. Kejriwal, Chadha, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh attended the Patna meeting and are expected to be in Bengaluru as well. The Congress’s remarks opposing the ordinance have helped the AAP out of a tough situation as it has been working to get the support of the other non-BJP parties since May. According to sources, leaders from several parties were miffed with the AAP for making its participation in the second meeting conditional on Congress’s public denouncement of the ordinance. The AAP made a statement after the Patna statement saying it would be “very difficult” for it to be part of a large umbrella where every member does not stand against the ordinance. Senior party leaders also highlighted that Kejriwal’s request for a meeting with Rahul Gandhi had not been accepted. Senior AAP leaders said on Sunday they had still not heard back from Gandhi.
