Mission Oust BJP: Sonia Chairs 19-Party Opposition Meet; Parties Like AAP Go Missing

New Delhi: Leaders of 19 parties came together at a virtual meeting chaired by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Friday as the Opposition looks to thrash out a common strategy against the BJP-led Central government ahead of important state elections in 2022 and the 2024 general elections.

Four chief ministers — Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal), MK Stalin (Tamil Nadu), Uddhav Thackeray (Maharashtra) and Hemant Soren (Jharkhand) – along with NCP leader Sharad Pawar, National Conference’s Farooq Abdullah, LJD’s Sharad Yadav and CPM’s Sitaram Yechury were among those who attended the meeting.

But is the entire Opposition united and ready to present a strong fight to BJP?

Conspicuous by their absence were parties like Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Samajwadi Party.

Sonia stated that the ultimate goal is the Lok Sabha elections three years from now.

“We have to begin planning systematically with the objective of giving to our country a government that believes in the values of the Freedom Movement and in the principles and provisions of our Constitution,” she said.

Blaming the Union government’s “obstinate and arrogant unwillingness” to discuss and debate urgent issues of public importance for the complete washout of Parliament’s Monsoon session, Sonia said: “In spite of this, the session was marked by the determined unity that all Opposition parties demonstrated for over 20 days in both the houses. We functioned in a coordinated manner with daily discussions among our floor leaders.”

“I am confident that this unity will be sustained in the future sessions of Parliament as well, but the larger political battle has to be fought outside it,” Sonia hoped.

Other key leaders who attended today’s meeting include National Conference’s Farooq Abdullah, NCP’s Sharad Pawar, LJD’s Sharad Yadav, and CPM’s Sitaram Yechury. However, no one from SP joined the meeting.

In a joint statement after the meeting, the 19 parties stated they will jointly organise protests all over the country between September 20 to 30.