Sonia Gandhi to hold virtual Opposition meeting

New Delhi: Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi will hold a virtual meeting with leaders of several top Opposition parties on Friday, and discuss the strategy to counter the BJP government after the Monsoon Session of Parliament saw a united Opposition cornering the government.

According to the Congress party sources, Opposition leaders attending the meeting include West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has not been invited to the meeting. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which had quit the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) after three farm laws were passed last year, has also not been invited.

Sources said Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has been invited, but has not confirmed attendance.

In the recently-concluded Monsoon Session of Parliament, Opposition parties united against the government over issues like Pegasus snooping controversy, new farm laws, and price rise.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi has been present in all Opposition strategy meets, and has been leading the charge. Congress leaders have also said the Opposition unity will go all the way to 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The meeting also comes in the backdrop of differences within the party, and the last Opposition leaders' meet was held at the residence of Kapil Sibal, one of the G-23 leaders of Congress who wrote a letter last year to Ms Gandhi seeking sweeping changes in the party.

Neither Sonia nor Rahul Gandhi were present in that meeting. (UNI)