At an event in Varanasi, Akhilesh, without referring to the Congress, said, “Now that the name has been introduced, even the doubts have vanished. In due course of time the path will emerge again. (Now that the results are out, the ego has also ended. In the coming days, a new way forward will be found).”
The SP president said that while it was important to save the Constitution and democracy, it was also important to understand how crucial the struggle of the Samajwadis is in Uttar Pradesh. “The SP’s fight in UP is bigger and the party SP has to make some big decisions. The talks will start from where they began. Wherever a party is strong the others should support it,” said Akhilesh.
Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson, also did not mince words. In the West Bengal Assembly, Banerjee said the Congress lost the Hindi heartland states because of the division of votes that could have been averted had a seat-sharing arrangement been in place. “The Congress has won Telangana. They would have won Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan too. INDIA parties cut some votes and this is the truth. We had suggested a seat-sharing arrangement. They lost because of division of votes,” she said.
Later, she said about the December 6 meeting, “I will be visiting North Bengal from December 6 to December 11. I was not aware of the meeting date on December 6. Had I known about the meeting date beforehand, then I could have rescheduled my visit.”
Meanwhile, in Delhi
The SP on Monday morning skipped a meeting of the floor leaders of the alliance convened by Kharge, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. The party is upset with the Congress for not entering into a tie-up with it in Madhya Pradesh but is more unhappy with the treatment meted out to it, especially the remarks made against Akhilesh by Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath.
At the Opposition meeting held in Kharge’s Parliament office, the TMC questioned the Congress leadership on the delay in seat-sharing talks. Sources said the TMC MP Derek O’Brien broached the topic. He questioned the delay in the start of talks. Most INDIA parties are miffed with the Congress for having stalled the activities of the bloc because of the Assembly elections.
Apart from Mamata, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK chief M K Stalin, too, will not travel to Delhi on December 6 as his government is engaged in coordinating relief efforts in the wake of Cyclone Michaung. After some of the bloc’s leaders informally asked the Congress to postpone the meeting, the Congress, sensing the mood, agreed.
“Mallikarjun Kharge has called a meeting, an informal meeting of the INDIA parties — 27 or 28 parties’ informal meeting on December 6; a formal meeting may be held soon thereafter,” Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh said.
United in Parliament
The Opposition parties, however, decided to adopt a united floor strategy in Parliament. The parties will not disrupt proceedings of the House but will oppose a few Billsincluding the three that have been brought to replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and the Indian Evidence Act, and the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill. They will also demand a discussion on the country’s economic situation.
At the business advisory committee meeting, the Opposition united in demanding a discussion in the Lok Sabha on the Ethics Committee report recommending the expulsion of TMC MP Mahua Moitra before any decision was taken on the matter.
Meanwhile, the Congress’s parliamentary strategy group met in the evening at Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s residence. The party said it would participate in discussions but oppose the Bills replacing IPC, CrPC, and the Evidence Act.
“These are dangerous legislation … We had conveyed our reservations in the Standing Committee as well. But the Bills were bulldozed through the standing committee,” Jairam Ramesh said after the meeting. He said the Congress would also demand discussions on the economic situation, foreign policy challenges, border tension, and the situation in Manipur.
— With ENS Lucknow inputs
