New Delhi, Aug 20, 2021, IBNS
Time has come when the interests of the nation demand that all parties rise above "our compulsions", Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi said as she called out to opposition leaders to unite before the 2024 elections at a virtual meeting on Friday.
Gandhi urged the opposition to "plan systematically" for the 2024 national election and work unitedly, stressing that there was no other option.
"The 75th anniversary of India's Independence is indeed the most appropriate occasion for us to reaffirm our individual and collective resolve," the Congress leader said at the virtual meeting which was attended by 19 opposition parties.
Noting that 2024 polls is "the ultimate goal", Gandhi said: "This is a challenge, but together we can and must rise to it because there is simply no alternative to working cohesively together."
She called upon opposition parties to start planning "with the single-minded 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."
West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK president M.K. Stalin, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, and PDP's Mehbooba Mufti, were among leaders who attended.
Leaders from CPI, RJD, AIUDF, V.C.K, Loktantrik Janata Dal, JDS, RLD, RSP, Kerala Congress (M), and IUML also attended the meeting.
Speaking at the meeting, Mamata Banerjee proposed that there should be a constitution of a core.
She remarked that "forget who is the leader, let’s keep our personal interests aside. The People of India will lead."
"Every opposition party should be brought in to fight against BJP. For these meetings, those even not allied with Congress must be invited," added the West Bengal CM.
Banerjee emphasized that all opposition leaders have to move fast, walk together and "forget our ego to fight the BJP."
Meanwhile, both Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) were missing from the meeting, while the Aam Aadmi Party was not invited.
In the recently concluded Monsoon Session of Parliament, Opposition parties united against the government over issues like Pegasus snooping controversy, new farm laws, and price rise.
Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi has been present in all Opposition strategy meets, and has been leading the charge.
Congress leaders have also said the opposition unity will go all the way to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.