AAP, Despite Ultimatum To Congress, Attends Opposition Meet: 10 Facts

There were sharp exchanges between Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party in the just-concluded four hours long meeting of 16 Opposition parties in Bihar's Patna, sources said. It was also decided in the meeting that the next meeting will be held in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla next month.

The Aam Aadmi Party, determined to get all Opposition parties on board against the Centre's ordinance that undermines its hold over the national capital's bureaucracy, has threatened to derail the big meeting if the Congress doesn't commit to joining forces in defeating the Ordinance once it's tabled in the Parliament. Though Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge skirted questions on it, saying they decide on such issues ahead of Parliament sessions, some party leaders have called it a 'pressure tactic'.

"Opposing it or proposing it does not happen outside, it happens in Parliament. Before Parliament begins, all parties decide what issues they have to work on together. They know it, and even their leaders come to our all-party meetings. I don't know why is there so much publicity about it outside," Mr Kharge said. AAP has alleged that the Congress is not taking a stand because of a deal with the BJP. AAP Chief Spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar told NDTV that they have come to know from reliable sources that "there is a consensus between Congress and BJP" which is why the grand old party is not opposing the ordinance.

Notable absentees included Bahujan Samaj Party's Mayawati, who, though not invited, tweeted she'd give it a miss, and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) president Jayant Chaudhary, who said he has to attend a "pre-decided family programme". Mr Chaudhary, however, said he hopes the meeting will be an "important milestone in the path of opposition unity".

Though a 'common minimum program' is unlikely to be finalised in the first meeting, issues related to social justice, the alleged misuse of investigating agencies by the Centre, the violence in Manipur, the wrestlers' protest, and the Delhi ordinance are likely to be discussed. Discussions on a single face from the joint Opposition against the BJP will be avoided. The prickly issue of seat sharing for the "one seat, one candidate" formula floated by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is likely to be touched upon.

This is the first time several parties averse to the Congress due to regional rivalry are set to share the stage. Nitish Kumar, who was tasked with bringing these parties together, met chiefs of such parties -- AAP, Trinamool Congress, and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) -- to convince them to come on board. Telangana Chief Minister and BRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao, though warm to the idea of a united opposition, wasn't invited after he made it clear his party would be equidistant from the BJP and Congress.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Friday said if democracy has to survive after 2024, then political parties will have to show a big heart in national interest to instil confidence among voters. In an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana', the Uddhav Thackeray-led party said the AAP and BRS have national ambitions, but this will help Prime Minister Narendra Modi indirectly and support "dictatorship".

The high-level Opposition meeting will see participation from stalwarts like Sharad Pawar from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee (TMC), Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann (AAP), Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin (DMK), Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav, and Maharashtra's former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena-UBT). Leaders of the PDP, CPI(M), CPI, JMM, CPI(ML), and the National Conference will also attend the first high-level opposition meeting.

The BJP had in 2019 won 303 Lok Sabha seats, 21 more than in 2014. In just the Hindi heartland, the BJP under PM Modi won 141 seats -- which was 71 per cent of the seats it contested -- with more than a 50% vote share. The party dismissed the opposition meeting as a mere photo-session. 

Addressing a public meeting in Jammu, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, "No matter how many parties come for the meeting, they can never unite". "Today a photo session is underway in Patna. They (the opposition) want to challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi and NDA. I want to tell them that PM Modi will form his government in the 2024 Lok Sabha Polls with more than 300 seats," he said.