The Congress is closely watching the growing bonhomie between some regional parties and the Chief Ministers’ interactions in the midst of the ensuing Assembly elections in five States, including the crucial Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.
Sources in the party said Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who is hopeful to retain Punjab and wrest Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur from the BJP and its alliance partners, is contemplating to call on a grand opposition meeting post the assembly election results on March 10 and before the second part of the budget session resumes in the Parliament.
Party sources said all including TMC will be invited to formulate a common intention strategy towards taking on the BJP in the 2024 General Elections.
“We held two meetings earlier. On both occasions, all opposition parties were invited. This time, too, they will be invited,” said Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, a key person behind the initiative.
The last when the opposition parties met was on August 20 last year with participation of 19 political parties during which Sonia Gandhi had urged the leaders to rise above individual compulsions in the interest of the nation and start formulating for the single objective to oust BJP and bring back a government that “believes in the values of the freedom movement and in the principles and provisions of our Constitution".
The unification continued until the Trinamool Congress launched an offensive against the grand old party probably devised by poll strategist Prashant Kishor who is now thrown out from all the close quarters of parties he worked with.
"The message is loud and clear after Prashant Kishor made efforts to re establish his relations with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar now.
As politically all is aware the sour relations of Nitish and his major partner BJP in Bihar it is certain that post results if the UP and other results don't meet BJP's expectations then Nitish may look for a different shore to tide with," said a very senior Congress leader, requesting not be named.
Congress, which is anticipating a massive gain as compared to the other non BJP parties in poll fray now, may flex its muscles against TMC, which in recent months has been questioning its supremacy.
Sonia in her last meeting with opposition parties, which was boycotted by TMC, had mentioned she was looking beyond the TMC when she invited DMK, NCP, RJD, SP, BSP, CPI (M) and Shiv Sena for a strategy meeting during the winter session of Parliament.
Sources said TMC supremo West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee had expressed her annoyance over the way the draft was prepared by CPI M leader Sitaram Yechury regarding which she had suggested for a core group of a few leaders to monitor regularly.
Congress has swung into action after Mamata took a lead in roping DMK, TRS, Shiv Sena and Samajwadi Party early this month leading to the latest meeting of Telangana CM KCR and Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray. Congress is in alliance government with Thackeray in Maharashtra and with DMK in Tamil Nadu.