Opposition parties to meet in Jaipur for anti-BJP platform

NEW DELHI: Persisting with efforts to join forces against the BJP, leaders of 14 Opposition parties will converge at Jaipur next Thursday for the third edition of the “Saanjhi Virasaat” (shared culture) campaign to oppose the NDA government’s efforts to “create social disharmony”.

While the Bahujan Samaj Party, Biju Janata Dal and the Aam Aadmi Party has so far kept away from these efforts, the silver lining has been the presence of the Congress representatives at these meetings that are being organized by rebel Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav.

While the Opposition camp remains weakened and fragmented, political observers also find a ray of hope in the fact that traditional rivals such as the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the CPI (M) have decided to close ranks to oppose the BJP at the national level. Besides Anand Sharma of the Congress, participants at the Jaipur meet will include Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, Sitaram Yechury (CPM), Surjit Singh Salakhia (National Conference), Sukhendu Shekhar Roy (TMC), Babulal Marandi (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha), Tariq Anwar (Nationalist Congress Party), Jayant Chaudhary (Rashtriya Lok Dal) and Manoj Jha of the Rashtriya Janata Dal.

The Opposition aim of creating a common platform against the BJP appears far-fetched yet, as state-level rivalries amongst the regional parties are far from resolved. Regional parties are largely being led by leaders who are long past their prime, while they also seem divided on the leadership question of the proposed non-BJP front. “But, instead of focusing on contentious issues, we have been concentrating on building a narrative on real issues confronting the farmers and the youth”, a senior JD (U) leader said.