Mamata invites Opposition leaders to 'deliberate on future course of Indian politics'

West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on Saturday (June 11) invited all the Opposition leaders to converge at New Delhi’s Constitutional Club on June 15 to “deliberate on the future course of Indian politics”.

Apart from all the non-NDA chief ministers, Banerjee also wrote to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury urging them to attend the meeting at 3 pm.

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“A nation with a robust democratic character requires a strong and effective Opposition. All progressive forces in this country need to remain aligned and resist the divisive force that is plaguing us today. Opposition leaders are being deliberately targeted by different Central agencies, the country’s image is maligned internationally and bitter dissensions are created within. It is time we strengthen our resistance,” she told the leaders.

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“The Presidential elections are around the corner, presenting the perfect opportunity for all progressive Opposition parties to reconvene and deliberate on the future course of Indian politics. The election is monumental because it gives legislators the opportunity to participate in deciding the Head of our State who is the custodian of our democracy. At a time when our democracy is going through troubling times, I believe that a fruitful confluence of Opposition voices is the need of the hour to echo the deprived and unrepresented communities,” she further wrote.

Our hon’ble chairperson @MamataOfficial calls upon all progressive opposition forces to meet and deliberate on the future course of action keeping the Presidential elections in sight; at the Constitution Club, New Delhi on the 15th of June 2022 at 3 PM. pic.twitter.com/nrupJSSbT8

— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) June 11, 2022

Common Opposition candidate

She sent out the invitation amidst efforts by Sonia Gandhi to reach out to Opposition leaders in a bid to field a common candidate for the next month’s Presidential election.

The election to be held on July 18 is expected to give shape to the possible Opposition coalition against the BJP-led NDA in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Gandhi, who is recovering from Covid-19, called Banerjee on Thursday (June 9) and discussed about the need for a common Opposition candidate in the presidential election, TMC sources said.

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At the behest of Gandhi, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge also paid a visit to Sharad Pawar to develop consensus among all like-minded parties over a common candidate.

TMC sources said efforts are on to convince Pawar to be the opposition candidate. The TMC, AAP and a few other regional parties reportedly want that the common candidate should preferably be a non-Congress person.

Former Prime Minister Deve Gowda’s name is also likely to figure for the coveted post if Pawar declines to contest, sources added.

Percentage of vote share in electoral college

The BJP-led NDA’s strength in the electoral college that elects the President is marginally less than the combined strength of the Opposition, giving some iota of hope to the latter.

The NDA has 48.9 per cent vote share going by the total number of its MPs and MLAs that constitute the electoral college. All Opposition parliamentarians and legislators together make up for 51.1 per cent vote share, which is 2.2 per cent more than the BJP’s strength.

The BJP, however, is confident of getting the support of the non-NDA parties like the Biju Janata Dal of Odisha and YSR Congress of Andhra Pradesh.

The Opposition parties, therefore, want to field a candidate who would be attractive to non-NDA fence-sitters.