In a grand show of strength to consolidate unity against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party alliance, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi has invited political leaders from many opposition parties for dinner on 13 March in Delhi.
One of the first politicians to be invited was DMK’s working president MK Stalin, who accepted the invite but decided to send Kanimozhi instead to represent him as he will be busy for the first day of Tamil Nadu state assembly sessions that will begin on the same day.
On behalf of Rashtriya Janata Dal, Bihar’s leader of the opposition and ex-deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav will attend the dinner in the absence of his jailed father Lalu Prasad Yadav. Also invited from Bihar is former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi, who currently heads the Hindustan Awam Morcha party.
Other opposition parties that are likely to be invited but have not yet been confirmed officially are Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party (SP), Mayawati’s Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP), and several other smaller political outfits.
It is interesting to note that Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) leaders said they have not been invited, possibly because Telangana chief minister K.C. Rao has been in political limelight recently after he floated the idea of a third front of local parties to fight both Congress and BJP.