OPPOSITION PLANS UNITED FRONT TO TAKE ON BJP IN 2019

NEWDELHI: The Opposition is gearing up to launch a joint offensive against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the coming days with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar calling a meeting of all “like-minded parties” in Delhi on Monday.

The opposition parties will not only discuss the steps to take forward their “Save the Constitution” campaign but also thrash out a strategy to take on the saffron party in upcoming assembly elections as well as the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

The proposal by the Maratha strongman came during the opposition’s “Save the Constitution” march in Mumbai on Republic Day.

Pawar, rebel Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI leader D Raja, Patidar leader from Gujarat Hardik Patel, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference working president Omar Abdullah, Dinesh Trivedi of the Trinamool Congress and Congress leaders Ashok Chavan, Sushil Kumar Shinde, Prithviraj Chavan, Sanjay Nirupam and Alpesh Thakor had all gathered for the march.

Pawar’s initiative is not only being seen as an attempt to consolidate anti-bjp forces ahead of the 2019 elections but also sets to rest speculation about him being “soft” towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party.

Leaders from the Congress and the NCP were of the view that Pawar is inclined to renewing the alliance between the two parties, which jointly ruled Maharashtra for 15 years from 1999 to 2014 when they snapped their ties.

Prior to Monday’s meeting, senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha is all set to launch a non-political front — likely to be named “Rashtriya Manch” — on January 30, the 70th anniversary of the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. Members of the front willinclude senior Congress leader and former union minister Manish Tewari, Ashutosh and Ashish Khaitan from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Pavan Kumar Varma of the Janata Dal (United).