NEW DELHI: With political rivalries in states hampering “secular” unity at the Centre, former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has urged like-minded parties to overcome regional differences and join hands against BJP at the Centre.
The plea from the Congress leader provided fodder for detailed discussions among opposition parties on the need for unity, a critical issue given the resurfacing of friction in the anti-Hindutva camp in recent weeks.
The opposition parties met on Thursday amid comments from Trinamool Congress that party chief Mamata Banerjee should lead the opposition. Also, when NCP chief Sharad Pawar called a consultation of the opposition earlier this week, Congress made it plain that Sonia Gandhi is still the head of the grouping.
In the backdrop of fears that the anti-BJP bloc may unravel, Congress chose to address the reality of competitive politics within the “secular” camp. Sonia said the threat of “ideology of hate” (highlighting incidents of riots) and “attack on the Constitution” cannot be ignored.
The twin issues serve as glue in the opposition bloc, with “hate” appealing to “secular vote-base” and “threat to the Constitution” morphing into a political appeal to SCs and STs. The 17 parties in attendance agreed on the need to stay focused on the “threats”.
The participants included NCP’s Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel, Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien, JMM’s Sanjeev Kumar, RJD’s J P Yadav and Samajwadi Party’s Ram Gopal Yadav besides leaders of other parties.
Another uplifting factor for the beleaguered opposition, which could bond them better, seems to be the gains being made against BJP. After a good Congress show in Gujarat polls, the party sweep of three byelections in Rajasthan on Thursday buoyed the mood in the meeting.
