(L-R) Congress’s Rahul Gandhi, TMC’s Mamata Banerjee, and AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal. File image/Twitter
Sources say the May 27 Niti Aayog gathering could be a meeting ground for this unity, or at least a meeting
There is a spring in the step of the Congress after winning the Karnataka polls. And with this comes a renewed energy to make opposition unity a reality, which till now has been stillborn.
Sources say the May 27 Niti Aayog gathering could be a meeting ground for this unity, or at least a meeting. Congress general secretary KC Venugopal after talks involving party leader Rahul Gandhi, its president Mallikarjun Kharge, and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said on Monday that the date for an opposition meeting will be announced in a day or two. The meeting after consultation with stakeholders could be held either in Delhi or a ‘safe’ place like Patna as some parties like the Trinamool Congress have reservations over allowing the Congress to take the lead.
In fact, it’s Nitish Kumar who is playing the role that Mamata Banerjee did in 2019: forging opposition unity. It’s felt that being from the Hindi heartland, a good orator, with no corruption charges against him gives Nitish the edge over other players. Also, many opposition leaders may not have an issue with the Bihar CM taking charge.
But the hurdle remains the Aam Aadmi Party. The Congress may have got support from AAP during the previous Parliament session, but it cannot take the help of any party that it sees as eating into its vote bank. The Congress is aware that AAP can grow only by weakening it. This is why the Aam Aadmi Party was not invited to the oath-taking ceremony of the newly formed Karnataka government.
In fact, even on the Centre’s controversial Delhi ordinance, while AAP has got support from some opposition outfits like the TMC, and even Congress allies such as the JD(U), the grand old party’s response has been cautious.
A statement issued by KC Venugopal said, “The Congress will consult its state units and other like-minded parties on this. 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.” This is under pressure from Delhi leaders like Sandeep Dikshit and Ajay Maken who have openly criticised AAP for not being able to sort out its tussle with bureaucrats. In fact, a few days ago Sandeep Dikshit had criticised his party for not standing up to AAP and had mentioned the fact that his mother, late Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, had been “harassed” by Arvind Kejriwal.
This puts the plan suggested by Nitish Kumar and TMC in a spot. Sources say one of the proposals is that these opposition parties will have an understanding of one joint candidate on each key Lok Sabha seat for the 2024 elections so anti-BJP votes aren’t divided. This plan may fail if the Congress and AAP don’t come to an agreement. Similarly, Murshidabad MP and leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s political survival is tied to “anti-Mamataism”. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee insists that the Congress must ensure Adhir sheds this opposition.
With neither side ready to blink, is it a blind alley for the idea of opposition unity before the meeting has even begun?
