Coordination committee to chart out Oppn roadmap

New Delhi: Leaders of 16 opposition parties, led by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, met here on Friday to deliberate on evolving an "alternative narrative" to counter the BJP.

At the two-hour long meeting, it was decided to form a coordination committee to chart out the future course of action.

The Opposition is expected to up the ante against the government on issues like growing unemployment and farmers' woes, Congress spokesperson Ghulam Nabi Azad told media persons after the meeting.

Sharad Pawar's party was a no-show at Friday's meeting of the opposition called by Sonia Gandhi. Pawar had earlier confirmed that he would depute a representative to the session.

NCP's Tariq Anwar was expected to represent the party at the meeting but didn't turn up.

His turnaround comes after Gandhi's party, the Congress, suggested that he had betrayed it in the recent Rajya Sabha election in Gujarat.

NCP leader Praful Patel told media persons that the Congress insinuation that they hadn't voted for Ahmed Patel was insulting.

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, however, played these suggestions and said they were in close touch with NCP leaders.

At the meeting, Bengal chief Minister Mamata Banerjee spoke of the need for a common minimum programme, and dispel public perceptions on Opposition disunity.

The Bengal CM has been a rallying point for anti-BJP forces in recent months. She has taken on the NDA government over the note-ban and GST.

" We are all united, and will fight together," Banerjee told reporters as she left the meeting.

Dissident JD(U) MP Ali Anwar Ansari, who is opposed to his party's alliance with the BJP in Bihar attended the meeting.

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee attended the meeting, besides leaders of Left parties.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, who left the meeting early said that the opposition parties have to build an alternative narrative to counter Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his BJP.

He told reporters that this could be done through effective strategy and taking up pro-people issues such as agrarian crisis.