NCP, TMC bat for focussed approach on core issues

The Opposition unity meeting called by Sonia Gandhi saw a demand from Trinamool Congress and NCP leaders, Mamata Banerjee and Sharad Pawar, to stay focussed on fewer core issues at a time while taking over the government.

While the joint statement issued by the 20 parties trained guns on the government on 11 points, both Banejree and Pawar preferred to prune it.

"The joint statement we have issued has too many demands. Going forward, we should restrict our agenda to only five issues of national importance," it said listing 'vaccine for all, repealing farm laws, withdrawing unprecedented hike in petrol, diesel and cooking gas, giving Rs 7500 per month to all outside income tax bracket and judicial probe on Pegasus" as "urgent issues", which need to be focussed on.

Calling for a time bound action programme, Pawar strongly suggested that "instead of dealing with all these issues together, we must collectively prioritise each issue and solve them one by one".

Read | Winning 2024 polls ultimate goal, time to rise above compulsions: Sonia Gandhi to Oppn leaders

Remarking "forget who is the leader", Banerjee asked for keeping personal interests aside. "The people of India will lead," she said and emphasised that all opposition leaders have to move fast, walk together and forget their egos".

Banerjee said every Opposition leader should be brought in to fight against BJP and took the name of CPI-ML in this regard. CPI-M's Sitaram Yechury, however, said that so far on parties, who have presence in Parliament are called in these meetings and if any change is brought about then Forward Bloc, too, should be invited.

The significance of the meeting is that it comes soon after unity in Parliament. It is no longer only floor coordination now and has extended to party coordination. The general feeling was that all should be united before UP polls.

"The new India is a Modi project which is based on disruption and destruction of the Constitution and erect RSS' rapidly intolerant Hindu Rashtra. It is a battle for which the time has come to firmly decide where you stand," CPI(M)'s Sitaram Yechury said.

Sidelights

There was a small hiccup with some Chief Ministers objecting to junior persons from the AICC set up coordinating the virtual meeting, which was assigned to AICC general secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal first. Later Sonia Gandhi and Sitaram Yechury called up some leaders. CPI-M's office also got into coordination.

A draft of the joint statement was shared with leaders by Yechury. SP's Akhilesh Yadav first called Yechury to express his inability to attend but he said he agreed with the joint statement. Later, he sent a letter to Yechury expressing his inability to attend the meeting.

Mayawati was informed about the meeting and was invited but there was no response. AAP was not invited as AAP and Congress do not want to be seen together.

In the meeting after Sonia, Pawar spoke first. He said he has gone through the draft prepared by Yechury. He agreed with it but spoke about one issue on the formulation of farmers issue in the statement. Pawar's point was that different states have different laws. Later, Yechury clarified that is exactly the point and the Centre should first repeal the laws. Then laws should be drafted through consultations with all stakeholders. Pawar agreed.

Mamata wanted a Core Committee to be set up to discuss issues before meetings. Sonia said will think about it.

Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren said there is a need to make people understand Pegasus otherwise it won't make any sense.