New Delhi: Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has invited leaders of all opposition
parties for dinner here on March 13 in a fresh bid to forge a united
front against the BJP, sources in the party said.
The initiative
-- in the backdrop of opposition parties joining hands to attack the
government in Parliament -- is a step towards strengthening the
opposition and laying the foundation for a united front in the 2019 Lok
Sabha elections, a party insider said.
Sonia Gandhi's invitation
comes at a time when talk of a non-BJP, non-Congress front is doing the
rounds following a proposal by TRS chief and Telangana Chief Minister K
Chandrashekhar Rao for a national consultation process on the matter.
Sources
close to the Congress confirmed that Sonia Gandhi's dinner would
signify the coming together of all opposition parties who would take on
the BJP inside and outside Parliament.
"It would not only be a
dinner, but also showcase the strength of opposition parties who would
like to come together to form a front against the misrule of BJP," a
senior leader said.
Several leaders have confirmed their attendance, a Congress insider said, declining to go into specifics.
However, he said Sonia Gandhi is keen to have all top opposition party
leaders, including Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, who is yet
to confirm.
Banerjee has spoken to Rao and DMK working president MK Stalin for coordination inside and outside Parliament.
NDA ally TDP could also attend the Congress leader's dinner, said a senior opposition leader on condition of anonymity.
Though
the TDP is an ally of the NDA, the southern regional party has joined
hands with other opposition parties to protest in Parliament against the
Centre over the issue of triple talaq. The party has also aired its
differences with the government over a special package for Andhra
Pradesh.
The second half of the budget session has been
witnessing protests by opposition parties, which have also held
demonstrations outside the House and inside.
There is "good
coordination" between TRS, TDP, SP, BSP, TMC, Left, DMK and all
opposition parties in Parliament on various issues, TMC leader Derek
O'Brien said today. PTI
