New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has on Wednesday called a meeting to forge a consensus for fielding a joint candidate against the NDA in the Presidential election. Aam Aadmi Party has decided to skip the meeting, sources said today.
AAP to skip the meet
"Aam Aadmi Party will not participate in the meeting of Opposition parties to be held today regarding the Presidential Elections. AAP will consider the matter only after the Presidential candidate is declared," sources said on Wednesday.
KCR refuses to meet
The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, who also has the common goal of defeating BJP, has also decided to opt out of the meeting citing Congress' presence.
"There is no question of sharing any platform with the Congress," said the TRS in a statement.
TRS statement
As per a report on NDTV website, The TRS in a statement said that the Congress has been invited for the meeting despite its oppostions. The statement further read, "Rahul Gandhi, in a recent public meeting in Telangana had targeted the TRS government without any word of criticism against the BJP," accusing the Congress of "ganging up with the BJP" in Telangana, especially in recent by-polls.
The TRS also complained against, "method of trying to put up an opposition presidential candidate".
"Even otherwise, TRS is not in agreement with this method of trying to put up an opposition presidential candidate. In this case, the candidate was already chosen, and the candidate's opinion was taken, after which the meeting was called. Why was it done this way? The right procedure would have been to hold meetings, arrive at a consensus, take the candidate's approval, and then announce the name after a meeting".
YSRCP's stand
We haven't received an invitation to the meeting till y'day. Decision on extending support to any candidate to be taken by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. I don't know whether or not opposition will field a candidate: YSRCP MP Vijayasai Reddy V on Opposition meeting on Presidential poll
Congress to attend the meet
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said, "MK Stalin (TN CM), K Chandrashekar Rao (Telangana CM), Uddhav Thackeray (Maharashtra CM) & many big leaders aren't participating...we want unity & a unanimous (Presidential) candidate. Electing a candidate (for the upcoming Presidential elections) can't happen without Congress as we have nearly 50% votes. But we will still go to the meeting to fight together... as we don't want to break the unity. We want to fight against BJP"
Mamata Banerjee ignores AIMIM for opposition meet
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has not been invited by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to the meeting of opposition parties to discuss the strategy for the Presidential elections in Delhi on Wednesday.
Mamata Banerjee meets Sharad Pawar
On Tuesday, Banerjee met Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar at his residence in Mumbai separately to try and convince him to be the common opposition candidate for the top constitutional post. Pawar, however, has turned down the proposal, sources in the Opposition camp said.
The West Bengal Chief Minister is in the national capital for the meeting aimed to explore the possibility of formulating a common strategy with other opposition parties for the Presidential polls.
Several opposition leaders will take part in the meeting called on Wednesday by Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee to discuss Presidential polls to put up a united fight against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance.
The Presidential elections will take place on July 18 and the results will be declared on July 21.
Other leaders who will be part of the meeting
Other leaders who would take part in the meeting include former minister HD Deve Gowda and his son and Janata Dal (S) leader HD Kumaraswamy, Rashtriya Lok Dal's Jayant Chaudhary and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti.
MK Stalin's Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) will be represented by TR Baalu while Shiv Sena's Subhash Desai will attend the meeting. Samajwadi Party and National Conference will also attend the meeting.
Sources said Congress will also participate in the meeting to be held at the Constitution Club. Congress leaders including Mallikarjun Kharge, Jairam Ramesh, and Randeep Singh Surjewala are likely to attend the meeting. Banerjee has also sent an invitation to former BJP ally Shiromani Akali Dal but it is unlikely to attend the meeting.
Communist Party of India general secretary D Raja on Tuesday said that Left parties are likely to attend the meeting. CPI-M and other Left parties are rivals of the ruling TMC in Bengal. Naveen Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal, which has been invited, is unlikely to attend the meeting.
Banerjee had earlier written a letter to 22 leaders, including Left parties, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and chief ministers of opposition-ruled states.
