Opp. parties to start anti-Modi stir May 1

Opposition parties — including the Congress, Left, JD(U) and SP — have decided to join hands for a “people’s movement” against the Narendra Modiled government.

Their first programme will be held on May 1 — the 95th birth anniversary of socialist leader Madhu Limaye as well as International Labour Day.

Leaders such as Congress’ Digvijay Singh, JD(U)’s Sharad Yadav, CPIM’s Sitaram Yechury will share the dais under the banner of “progressive unity” in Delhi and use the occasion to highlight the “faulty policies” of the Modi government.

The exercise to come together against Narendra Modi-led BJP has begun, with the opposition parties, including Congress, Left, Janata Dal (United) and Samajwadi Party deciding to join hands for a “people’s movement”.

The first such programme will be held as soon as on May 1, which is the 95th birth anniversary of socialist leader Madhu Limaye as well as International Labour Day.

Leaders like Congress’s Digvijay Singh, JD-U’s Sharad Yadav and CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury will share dais under the banner of “Progressive Unity” in the national capital and use the occasion to highlight the faulty policies of the Modi government.

Other parties include Nationalist Congress Party, Samajwadi Party and Janata Dal (Secular).

Top leaders of the outfits, who are already in talks to field a joint presidential candidate, are also reportedly working out details to launch other people’s agitations. The Left parties have

Congress, Left, Janata Dal (United) and Samajwadi Party will join hands for a ‘people’s movement’

already announced a month-long nationwide agitation against the economic policies of the Modi government starting May 15.

A top leader of the JD-U said it was during discussions on fielding a common presidential candidate that the proposals on joint agitations and public meetings came about. “The parties feel that they should come together and built a common narrative against the Modi government and have decided to explore possibilities of such people’s movements. The May 1 programme is the first such step in this direction,” JD-U leader K.C. Tyagi told this newspaper.

CPI leader D. Raja said that during his meetings with Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, both expressed willingness to let their parties be part of such agitations.

The CPI-M has already decided to hold week-long programmes in the second half of May.