New Delhi: The heads of 21 “like-minded” political events have been invited by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to hitch the concluding ceremony of the get together’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in Srinagar on 30 January.
Whereas particular person leaders and MPs had been invited by Rahul Gandhi to hitch the yatra prior to now, the invitation by Kharge, despatched out Wednesday, is addressed particularly to heads of events.
The events on the listing of invitees embody the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Telugu Desam Occasion (TDP), Samajwadi Occasion (SP), Bahujan Samaj Occasion (BSP), Peoples Democratic Occasion (PDP), Communist Occasion of India (CPI), CPI (Marxist), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).
Each Tejashwi Yadav and his father, former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad, from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), have been invited. As have Omar and Farooq Abdullah from the Nationwide Convention (NC).
Former Bihar MP Sharad Yadav has been despatched a separate invitation.
Notably, the Aam Aadmi Occasion (AAP), Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS, previously Telangana Rashtra Samithi) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), have been stored out of the invitation listing. Former Congress chief Ghulam Nabi Azad’s Democratic Azad Occasion (DAP) has additionally been disregarded.
Then again, the CPI(M), which leads the Left Democratic Entrance coalition — the principal opposition to the Congress in Kerala — has been prolonged an invite. Different Left events, just like the CPI and Revolutionary Socialist Occasion (RSP) have additionally been invited.
For the reason that Bharat Jodo Yatra started in September final 12 months, the one opposition leaders who’ve walked with Rahul, who’s main the yatra, are from events in alliance with the Congress of their respective states.
These embody Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M.Okay. Stalin, who flagged off the yatra from his state; and Nationalist Congress Occasion (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and Aaditya Thackeray of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), each of whom joined the rally in Maharashtra.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief and Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, who was previously with the Congress, joined the yatra in Delhi, whereas DMK MP Kanimozhi joined in Haryana.
The one exceptions have been Makkal Needhi Maiam’s (MNM) Kamal Haasan who walked with Rahul in Delhi and Nationwide Convention (NC) stalwart and former J&Okay CM Farooq Abdullah who joined the yatra proper earlier than it entered Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh.
Earlier than the yatra entered UP in the beginning of this month, BSP supremo Mayawati additionally prolonged her greetings to the Congress, although she stayed away from the rally.
SP’s Akhilesh Yadav, too, had carried out the identical upon receiving an invite to hitch the walkathon. Nonetheless, his transfer gave the impression to be a U-turn from his earlier assertion on the yatra the place he had stated the Congress and rival BJP “are the identical”.
Earlier, PDP chief and former J&Okay CM Mehbooba Mufti had confirmed that she would be part of the yatra when it passes by the Union territory between 20 and 30 January.
Additionally learn: Day earlier than Bharat Jodo Yatra enters UP, Akhilesh congratulates Rahul, thanks him for invite
Opposition underneath Gandhi umbrella?
The truth that Kharge has despatched the invites this time round and never Rahul Gandhi, though the yatra has been ostensibly led by the latter, is important.
All earlier invites to opposition leaders for the yatra had been despatched by Gandhi.
In his letter to get together heads, Kharge wrote the concluding ceremony of the Bharat Jodo Yatra is devoted to Mahatma Gandhi.
“From the start of the yatra, now we have invited the participation of each like-minded particular person. On the invitation of Shri Rahul Gandhi, MPs of a number of political events have additionally walked within the Yatra at completely different levels. I now invite you to personally be part of the concluding perform of the Bharat Jodo Yatra to be held in Srinagar on January thirtieth at midday. The perform is devoted in reminiscence of Mahatma Gandhi who misplaced his life on today in his tireless battle towards the ideology of hatred and violence,” his letter learn.
Talking to ThePrint final week, TMC chief Sukhendu Sekhar Ray had stated that regardless of the Congress’ “frantic” makes an attempt, the get together had, up to now, “not acquired any help exterior of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) umbrella, barring a couple of, slightly symbolic presences”.
The Congress has formally denied it’s making makes an attempt to undertaking Rahul Gandhi because the opposition’s face for the 2024 basic elections.
On 30 December final 12 months, get together chief and former Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath had termed Rahul Gandhi the opposition’s “PM face” for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
A day later, at a press convention in Delhi on 31 December, Rahul Gandhi stated that if the opposition stood united and with a imaginative and prescient, then the BJP may very well be defeated. He, nonetheless, reiterated that solely the Congress might present the central ideological framework for such unity.
“If the opposition stands successfully with a imaginative and prescient, from what I’m seeing and listening to from the bottom, it’ll grow to be very tough for the BJP to win the following elections. However the opposition has to coordinate correctly and go to individuals with an alternate imaginative and prescient. However there’s a robust undercurrent towards the BJP,” he stated.
All through the yatra, nonetheless, he has avoided making any touch upon himself because the chief who can convey the opposition collectively.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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