New Delhi: Amidst questions being raised regarding the Election Commission’s functioning, today—September 30—is set to be a crucial day for opposition unity. A meeting of the INDIA bloc is scheduled in the capital, Delhi, where a joint strategy regarding the Chief Election Commissioner will be formulated. While all political parties within the INDIA alliance will participate, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav will not attend in person.
A senior leader from the Samajwadi Party will represent the party at the meeting. According to sources, the opposition intends to draft a plan to seek the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The government is also keeping a close watch on this opposition meeting.
Mamata Banerjee to Attend
All eyes are on the upcoming INDIA alliance meeting in Delhi. Congress will be represented by party National President Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and senior leaders Jairam Ramesh and KC Venugopal. Former West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee will also attend.
Leaders from the Samajwadi Party, CPI, CPI(M), the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar faction), and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) will also be present. The focus of the meeting will be on the joint strategy the opposition devises regarding the Election Commission issue.
Not All Parties Will Participate
It appears unlikely that all political parties within the INDIA alliance will participate. No statements have been issued regarding the attendance of the DMK and the Aam Aadmi Party; consequently, it is believed they will not be part of today’s meeting. Meanwhile, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav will also skip the meeting due to work related to Rajya Sabha election nominations in Uttar Pradesh; a representative from his party will attend instead.
What Did the Congress Leader Say?
Ahead of the INDIA bloc meeting, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal stated that the Congress aims to plan a major movement with all political parties regarding issues concerning democracy. According to him, a clear plan for future activities will be formulated after incorporating suggestions from the leaders during the meeting. Venugopal also stated that the Congress would coordinate its own programs with the agitations of the ‘INDIA’ alliance.
On the other hand, DMK spokesperson T.K.S. Elangovan stated that his party stands ideologically with the opposition parties. He clarified that the DMK is not a part of the ‘INDIA’ alliance. He added, however, that if a motion to remove Gyanesh Kumar is introduced in Parliament, his party would support it.
