Even after the last attempt of uniting the opposition parties went hay-wire, Congress yet again calls for the non-NDA party to come together on one platform to finalize a consensus candidate for the Vice-Presidential election due on Aug 5. The last day to file the nomination for the polls is 18 July.
Last time the effort made by Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi to unite almost all non-NDA parties over a social bonding over lunch did not see much success, however, the party again organizes a meeting in Delhi on next Tuesday. With major fall backs like Nitish Kumar supporting the NDA presidential candidate and also attending the GST launch, he is still invited to the meeting, giving rise to suspicions as to he might be the candidate Congress wants. Nitish Kumar and Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi also met over tea a few days back.
Uniting the opposition parties is no simple game, looking at the attitude of the regional parties and NCP, JD(S), SP and BSP delinking from the Congress-Trinamool. Also, the fact that NCP, SP, BSP and JDS attended the GST roll-out, Congress is playing cautiously this time.
The agenda of the meeting will not only be focused on nominating the VP polls candidate, but the discussion regarding the major issues over which all the non-NDA parties need to come together as one and stand against NDA will also be held. Congress will for the parties to unite as one against, issues like the confrontationist’ governors, cow vigilantism, farmers’ issues, GST-related concern and floor coordination for the monsoon session.
Though the victory of the NDA candidate for the VP polls is inevitable as it already has the majority in the electoral college that comprises both Houses of Parliament, still the opposition wants to play the experiment games.