Opposition’s Patna meet to pitch for bipolar fight in 450 seats

‘One against one’, consensus on caste census, movement against central agencies’ “high-handedness”, Hindu-Muslim polarisation and “projection of a larger united Opposition” — these will be the probable topics on the table to be discussed when the Opposition parties meet on June 23 in Patna.

The meeting was earlier scheduled to take place on June 12. It was postponed due to the ‘unavailability’ of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as he was on a long trip to the UK.

At present, apart from Congress, Aam Aadmi Party’s convener Arvind Kejriwal, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav have agreed to join the meeting in Patna, organised and hosted by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. JD(U) and RJD have been the prime movers for the meeting.

KC Tyagi, senior leader of JD(U) and former MP, told News18, “Nitish Kumar ji has proposed the ‘one against one’ formula, which appears to be the only way to consolidate Opposition votes now. Barring a few states such as Punjab, Kerala, West Bengal, the formula will work for the Opposition. This meeting is a platform to discuss ideas of all like-minded Opposition parties.”

Apart from the ‘one against one’ formula, Opposition parties are likely to discuss issues related to ‘extreme polarisation’ on communal lines, “high-handedness by central agencies” such as the CBI and ED, and the “need for caste census”, a senior leader in the Opposition told News18.

Even though the regional parties have specific issues to raise in the meeting, the focal point would be the strategy for the forthcoming elections, he added.

According to senior JD(U) and RJD leaders, Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad would pitch for a bipolar fight in 450 constituencies. “We have done our homework… Senior leaders like Mamata Banerjee and Akhilesh Yadav have agreed to this idea too. But we have to be in agreement with Congress as it has a government in many states now,” a senior RJD leader said.

Meanwhile, Arvind Kejriwal in a letter has asked opposition parties to make Centre’s ordinance the top issue at the Patna meet.

With inputs from News18

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