New Delhi: As the united opposition is going to hold a mega assemblage in the capital city of Bihar on Friday, all the 20 like-minded parties are going to discuss the key issues that they have raised time and again against the ruling regime. Meanwhile, the opposition power corridor has also confirmed that a Bill related to the Centre’s Ordinance on transfers and postings of services that has not been passed in the Rajya Sabha will be a key issue of the meeting.
Opposition leaders also feel that if the Ordinance is nullified in the Upper House, then it would be a big setback for the incumbent BJP-ruled NDA government at the Centre. However, at the same time, they are also uncertain over YSRCP and Naveen Patnaik’s BJD’s position on the Centre’s Ordinance. Biju Janata Dal has always maintained an inert position and supported NDA in major events like demonetisation, the Presidential election and Vice-President Election, etc. Often, the opposition leaders claimed that “two non-NDA leaders are siding for fascism — Naveen Patnaik and Mayawati.”
At the same time, the opposition power corridor also confirmed: “No outreach has been made to BJD for the Patna meeting.” Currently, the United Opposition Front has a strength of 105 members in the Upper House, while, the BJP-led NDA has a strength of 134. Hence, when quizzed, Trinamool Congress RS member and senior parliamentarian Derek O’Brien said: “There (in Patna) will be a broad agreement to defeat the government in Rajya Sabha.”
Sources said that a common agenda will be finalised in the mega meeting of the opposition on June 23. This apart, inflation, unemployment and other serious issues affect everyone, drawing people’s attention to the fact that it is the government’s economic mismanagement, a result of bad decisions like demonetisation and faulty GST, are also other important issues to be discussed there.
Misuse of government agencies, communal harmony, and especially, the ongoing unrest in northeast state Manipur are also important issues.
All the chairpersons of the like-minded parties will take part in the meeting in Patna. NCP leader Sharad Pawar, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former president Rahul Gandhi, TMC supremo and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, former chief minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, Delhi chief minister and Aam Admi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal, CPI general secretary D. Raja, and CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI (ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya are the other leaders who have agreed to be part of the meeting.
Meanwhile, opposition leaders have also confirmed that Telangana’s Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) are also in touch with other like-minded parties.