Rahul Gandhi attended a floor coordination meeting with other opposition leaders today
Rahul Gandhi's aggressive strategy against the government in Parliament saw him attending a coordination meeting with one of his sharpest critics - the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
The Congress vice president made his first appearance at a floor coordination meeting held just before both houses assembled this morning.
Besides Mr Gandhi, those who attended it were Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Jyotiraditya Scindia, AAP's Bhagwant Mann and Nationalist Congress Party's Tariq Anwar.
Usually, it is left to leaders like Mr Kharge and Mr Scinadia to attend these meetings and Mr Gandhi stays out. Today, he dropped in and stayed to discuss the offensive against the government over BJP leaders involved in controversies.
A strong emphasis on the "no resignation, no discussion" strategy was the key outcome of the meeting. The Congress decided to continue with its "black band protest" though other opposition parties didn't do so.
AAP, which has earlier targeted Rahul Gandhi and the Congress, asserted that their collaboration should not be seen as the prelude to an alliance.
"The opposition needs to be united, for that we are with the Congress," said Bhagwant Mann, one of the four AAP lawmakers in Parliament. He said that the Vyapam jobs recruitment scandal was discussed at length in the meeting.
"We discussed how the opposition can be united and how we can raise lung power," Mr Mann said, adding, "If the opposition is united and strong then the government is alert."
Even last month, AAP had repeatedly attacked Rahul Gandhi. "Had Rahul Gandhi and his party kept the promises they made, he would not have seen the days he is witnessing now," said senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh.