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Following the meeting in Patna on June 23, the next meeting of the opposition parties would be held in Bengaluru on July 17 and 18, the Congress announced on Monday, sending a signal that the split in the NCP has not deterred them from pursuing unity talks and forging a front against BJP for next year’s Lok Sabha elections.
That the meeting will be held over two days also signals that the parties could take up for discussion substantial issues, including a seat-adjustment formula, a common programme, and giving the front a formal structure and name.
The Patna meeting on June 23 was a preparatory one, with leaders resolving to fight the Lok Sabha polls together but not discussing the nitty-gritty of seat-sharing or electoral adjustments.
Announcing the dates, Congress general secretary in-charge of organisation, K C Venugopal, said, “We are steadfast in our unwavering resolve to defeat the fascist and undemocratic forces and present a bold vision to take the country forward.”
Congress communication head Jairam Ramesh tweeted: “Yesterday when the BJP Washing Machine restarted in Mumbai with its ICE (Income tax, CBI, ED) detergent, BJP-inspired obituaries on Opposition unity were being planted. The obit writers will be disappointed. The next meeting of the parties that met at Patna on June 23rd will be held in Bengaluru on July 17th & 18th.”
“If anything,” Ramesh posted, “the Mumbai operations have strengthened Opposition resolve.”
Trinamool Congress leader in Rajya Sabha Derek O’Brien tweeted, “Bengaluru Summit. All For One. One For All.”
It is to be seen whether the Aam Aadmi Party attends the meeting since the Congress is yet to announce its stand on the contentious ordinance on services in Delhi. After the Patna meeting, AAP had declared that unless the Congress “publicly denounces” the ordinance it would be “very difficult” for the party to be part of any alliance that includes the grand old party.
“Until the Congress publicly denounces the Black Ordinance and declares that all 31 of its RS MPs will oppose the ordinance in the Rajya Sabha, it will be difficult for AAP to participate in future meetings of like-minded parties where the Congress is a participant,” the Arvind Kejriwal-led party had stated. “It’s high time the Congress decides whether it stands with the people of Delhi or the Modi government.”
The parties had initially decided to meet in Shimla earlier but shifted the venue to Bengaluru due to heavy rain lashing the Himachal Pradesh capital. The date, too, was changed from July 13-14 to 17-18 due to the unavailability of certain leaders on July 13 and 14.
With the monsoon session of Bihar Assembly scheduled from July 10 to 14, both RJD and JD(U) had asked the Congress to defer the meeting by a few days since Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav of RJD will have to attend the session.
A call was then taken to hold the meeting after the monsoon session of Parliament, which begins on July 20. But the split in NCP being seen as a setback to the Opposition’s unity efforts, leaders worked out the date in a hurry after consultations to send a message that developments in the Sharad Pawar-led party have not affected their morale.
