Sonia Gandhi calls Opposition meet on August 20; here's what could be on agenda

Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi has called a meeting of like-minded Opposition parties on August 20, according to ANI sources. The meeting will be held virtually. The agenda could be discussing the opposition unity and the 2024 elections plan.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, DMK chief MK Stalin, JMM Executive President Hemant Soren will participate in the meeting, the sources informed.

Opposition meet: Agenda

The agenda of the gathering is not yet known, but reports suggest, that it is an act to show Opposition strength. The meeting assumes significance in wake of their coordinated unity against the government during the now-concluded Monsoon session over the Pegasus snooping scandal, farmers' protest, and rising fuel prices. On Thursday, after the session was adjourned in both the Houses of Parliament, the Opposition bloc including Rahul Gandhi took out a protest march, criticising the government for abruptly terminating the Monsoon session and dodging debates on important issues.

Even as the major Opposition parties have come together, their leadership remains uncertain. Many of them have stated that they will announce their leader in the later stage.

The last of such a meeting was held at Congress leader Kapil Sibal's residence. It witnessed the participation of Sharad Pawar, RJD's Lalu Prasad Yadav, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, Akhilesh Yadav and Ram Gopal Yadav of Samajwadi Party, CPI's D Raja, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, Omar Abdullah of National Conference, AAP's Sanjay Singh, TMC leaders Derek O'Brien and Kalyan Banerjee, DMK's Tiruchi Siva and TK Elangovan and RLD's Jayant Chaudhary. The Gandhis, however, were not in attendance.

This meeting comes at a time when eyebrows are raised about the lack of effective leadership in the Congress party. Recently, during her visit to the national capital, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee met several Opposition camp netas and projected herself as a potential challenger to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. 

Banerjee had also hinted at the formation of the third front. When Republic Media Network, during her Delhi visit, asked her on the third front, she indirectly agreed  "Like-minded parties should always work together. There are hopes, the world is surviving on hope," she had said.