DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has called a meeting of Opposition parties in Chennai on Monday to discuss issues relating to social justice in the country. Leaders of around 20 parties, including the Congress, are slated to attend the meeting either in person or virtually. The meeting will discuss the topic, “Taking social justice in India forward — Social Justice, the Way Forward”.

Among the speakers who have confirmed their participation include Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav, National Conference patron Farooq Abdullah, BRS leader K Keshav Rao, CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury, CPI’s D Raja, AAP leader Sanjay Singh and TMC’s Derek O’Brien. The NCP and Shiv Sena (UBT) are yet to confirm their participation. The BJD’s Sasmit Patra and YSRCP’s A Suresh are also among the likely attendees. If they do, then their parties would be attending such a meeting for the first time, sources said. However, the two parties are yet to confirm their presence to the DMK. Opposition leaders said the BJD and the YSRCP are likely to attend the meeting as it is not an out and out Opposition “political” meeting but a discussion on a social issue. The BJD’s decision to participate would come close on the heels of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s meeting with Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Also, Opposition leaders said while the parties have confirmed presence, the names of their representatives is tentative and will depend on availability.

With Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from the Lok Sabha coming as a blessing in disguise for the fragmented Opposition, the Congress, too, has decided to convene a meeting of top Opposition leaders next month after some of them urged the grand old party to take the lead in strengthening unity among anti-BJP forces.

Party sources said the meeting would take forward the bonhomie displayed by several Opposition parties during the Budget Session of Parliament and it would be expanded outside too. Congress sources said the proposal for this meeting was made at the meeting of Opposition leaders convened by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence on Monday evening. NCP chief Sharad Pawar, DMK leader TR Baalu, JDU’s Lallan Singh and a CPI-M leader, called upon the Congress leadership to convene a meeting of party’s national presidents and top leaders to chalk out a blueprint for the 2024 general elections.