Home / World / Congress’ show of strength on Friday, opposition leaders invited for Sonia Gandhi’s lunch, Arvind Kejriwal left out

Congress’ show of strength on Friday, opposition leaders invited for Sonia Gandhi’s lunch, Arvind Kejriwal left out

Congress’ show of strength on Friday, opposition leaders invited for Sonia Gandhi’s lunch, Arvind Kejriwal left out

5Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has invited all top Opposition leaders for a lunch at her Parliament House on Friday, however, no invitaion has been extended to AAP chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
New Delhi: Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has invited all top Opposition leaders for a lunch at her Parliament House on Friday, however, no invitaion has been extended to AAP chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
During the Friday lunch, the opposition leaders with possibly discuss a unanimous candidate for President to take on the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance’s nominee.
According to NDTV, the lunch thrown by Sonia Gandhi is being showcased as a show of strength by the Congress on the day the Narendra Modi government completes three years in office.
According to reports, Congress chief had personally called up all top Opposition leaders to invite them and most have confirmed they will attend, putting aside regional rivalries.
The lunch will see Left general secretary Sitaram Yechury facing arch-rival Mamata Banerjee, who is West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress chief.
Banerjee, who was in Delhi last week, had met Gandhi and Kejriwal separately to discuss candidates for President.
Kejriwal has not received an invite because his party has so far not taken part in any joint opposition programme.
Mamata Banerjee will also be meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi today and though officially the agenda is the development of Bengal, the two leaders are expected to discuss the presidential elections.
Sources close to Mamata Banerjee say her party’s support will depend on who the Opposition’s candidate is and whether a consensus can emerge around the person’s name.
Among those who are likely to attend the lunch are Lalu Yadav (RJD), Mayawati (BSP),Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gandhi, senior Congress leaders. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will be sending a representative to attend the lunch.
Former Bengal governor and Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson Gopalkrishna Gandhi is said to be a forerunner to be the Opposition’s candidate and is strongly backed by Banerjee. Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar’s name has also been discussed.
Nitish Kumar had suggested a second term for President Pranab Mukherjee whose term ends in July, but the President has made it clear that he will consider it only of the government nominates him.
The ruling BJP has so far not seemed inclined to do that.
Veteran politician Sharad Pawar of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) declined Sonia Gandhi’s offer to be the opposition’s candidate for president, but will be there at her lunch party.
Pawar is believed to have said no because his party is not keen that he contest an election he is likely to lose. The opposition has little chance of winning the Presidential election against the NDA which has over 48.5 per cent support in the electoral college that elects the President and needs only a little support for the 51 per cent required for its candidate to win.

Check Also

Donald Trump may cause problems for China before he leaves presidency: Experts

Donald Trump may cause problems for China before he leaves presidency: Experts

WASHINGTON: With US President Donald Trump showing no signs that he will leave office gracefully after …