Amid exit poll roadblock, Opposition postpones meeting to choose PM candidate; Mayawati rethinks on Sonia Gandhi visit

As the nation now awaits the results of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections on May 23, and the opposition leaders are on a spree to stitch their grand alliance. With Chandrababu Naidu meeting Congress president Rahul Gandhi at his New Delhi residence, Samajwadi party chief Akhilesh Yadav, BSP supremo Mayawati in Lucknow,  NCP Chief Sharad Pawar, Loktantrik Janata Dal Chief Sharad Yadav, and AAP Chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and UPA chairperson and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi writing to a number of parties - both UPA allies and other non-NDA parties - including the BJD, YSRCP, TDP and TRS inviting them for a meeting on result day, as per sources, in order for a message to be sent that they are all rallying together on the verdict, the opposition's desperation is evident.

However, sources informed that there was a roadblock in the plan as the opposition has now rescheduled its meeting to choose their PM candidate from 23 May to May 24. As per sources, Mayawati postponed her visit to Delhi on May 20 and has said that she will take her decision after May 23 according to the election result. Mayawati was likely to meet Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi on May 20 in National capital. However, her plan has been canceled, as per sources. 

READ: Chandrababu Naidu Holds Second Round Of Talks With Rahul Gandhi, Sharad Pawar

Earlier on May 19, Naidu held a second round of talks with top opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Sharad Pawar, in an apparent bid to rally support for a non-BJP government at the Centre. Sources also said that he dialed Mamta Banerjee and urged her to attend or send a representative for the meeting called Sonia meeting. 

Earlier, in a scoop, Republic TV had accessed that the Congress attempt to strengthen Opposition unity for what will happen thereon. Sonia Gandhi is writing personally to all the parties mentioned above and that the meeting, depending on or irrespective of the result, may witness a discussion on the roadmap for the future course of action. In addition, special efforts are being made to bring the non-committal non-NDA parties, namely Naveen Patnaik's BJD, KCR-led TRS and Jagan Mohan Reddy-led TRS onboard for the proposed meeting. As per inputs, the deeper story behind the invitation to the TRS is that at his meeting with UPA-ally DMK on Tuesday, KCR was told by MK Stalin that he should support the UPA to form a government at the Centre when the time comes.

Meanwhile, in terms of the BJD, sources have told Republic TV that Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath has personally spoken to Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik inviting him to the meeting. This comes against the backdrop of Patnaik and PM Modi being complementary to each other and working in tandem over the state's response to Cyclone Fani which has been appreciated widely, including by the United Nations.

BIG SCOOP: Sonia Gandhi Makes Big Outreach To Fence-sitter Parties; BJD, TRS And YSRCP Among Non-NDA/UPA Members Invited To 2019 Lok Sabha Election Results Day Meet On May 23