H N Bahuguna centenary to bring Opposition leaders together

Late Congress leader Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna's birth centenary celebrations that kicked off on Wednesday will serve as an occasion for Opposition parties to put up a show of unity against the Modi government.

Leaders from across the political spectrum – Congress' A K Antony, CPM's Sitaram Yechury and Prakash Karat, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, RLD leader Ajit Singh, socialist leader Sharad Yadav and Muslim League's E T Mohammed Basheer are expected to share the stage to launch a year-long celebrations to mark Bahuguna's birth centenary.

Bahuguna's birth centenary will be celebrated across the country as National Integration Year, Neelalohithadasan Nadar, the Convenor of the H N Bahuguna Birth Centenary Celebration Committee said.

Bahuguna's children Vijay Bahuguna and Rita Bahuguna Joshi are members of the BJP. Joshi is a minister in the Yogi Adityanath government.

H N Bahuguna was a freedom fighter and a Congress leader who became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in 1973. Bahuguna was forced to resign as chief minister by the then prime minister Indira Gandhi who had clamped Emergency in 1975.

With their very survival at stake against the Modi-led BJP, Opposition parties are planning to take on the ruling alliance by forging a loose coalition for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee has put forth the idea of a “one-is-to-one” fight against the BJP which involves other Opposition parties supporting the strongest challenge to the saffron party.