Sonia, Kejriwal Iftars a rallying point for anti-BJP forces?

In a significant political development, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday accepted Iftar invitations of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Though due to prior official engagements, Mamata will not be able to attend the functions personally but she has sent a strong political signal - which many see as a significant move ahead of the Parliament Monsoon Session scheduled on July 21 - with leaders of all like-minded parties are invited.

It was learnt that Mamata will be sending her party MPs Derek O’Brien and Sukhendu Shekar Roy to attend both the invitations scheduled on Sunday and on Monday respectively. Kejriwal’s invite is for <g data-gr-id="38">Sunday,</g> while Sonia kept it for Monday.

Among those invited at Sonia’s Iftar party are leaders from Trinamool Congress (TMC), Samajwadi Party, RJD, NCP, National Conference, <g data-gr-id="33">AIMIM</g>, AIUDF, Janata Dal (United) and the Left parties. The AIADMK, TRS and the BJD have been kept out,

Political observers feel that Congress is utilising the opportunity to send a larger message of opposition unity at a time when the NDA government is on the back-foot in the wake of series of scams including Vyapam and the controversy arising out of the revelations of the former IPL boss Lalit Modi.

Those who will be attending Sonia’s Iftar party include Mulayam Singh Yadav (SP), Mayawati (BSP), Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), HD Deve Gowda (JD-S), E Ahamed (IUML), Kanimozhi (DMK), D Raja (CPI) among others.

Sharad Yadav of the JD-U is among the invitees, so is Farooq Abdullah of the National Conference (NC). The get-together of Opposition leaders is taking place at a time when government ‘managers’ have decided to battle out the controversies on the floor of the House and have taken a conscious decision not to shorten the Monsoon Session.

While accepting Sonia’s invitation, Mamata immediately tweeted to Congress president, “Thank you Sonia Gandhiji for your invitation to Iftar on Monday. My good wishes. As I am in Kol (Kolkata), Derek O’Brien will be in Del (Delhi) on our behalf.”

Mamata also extended her good wishes to Kejriwal too and asked Derek and Roy to be present on her behalf. “Thanks @arvindkejriwal for Iftar invitation. Good wishes. As I am in Kol, my colleagues Derek & Sukhendu will be there,” Mamata tweeted.

“Thank u Mamta Di. I wish u cud come. We will miss u,” Kejriwal immediately responded to her tweet, to which she promptly replied, “We will meet next time in Delhi”.