India: Sharad Pawar plays “United Opposition” card, Banerjee calls for one-to-one fights

• Opposition should work unitedly for BJP-led NDA’s defeat in the next Lok Sabha polls, NCP leader Sharad Pawar and Trinamool leader Mamata Banerjee concurred at a meeting at Parliament House on 27 Mar 18.
• Accompanied by some colleagues, both leaders held a politically-meaty engagement over snacks at NCP’s Parliament office, where Pawar told Banerjee that the top priority of the Opposition was to defeat the BJP-RSS and a united Opposition was a strategic requirement for it.
• Banerjee agreed and added she favoured united and well-coordinated efforts of Opposition parties to defeat BJP in the next elections.
• The development comes as a setback for floaters of the federal front, which major Opposition parties have seen as a ploy to divide the Opposition into two camps ahead of the next Lok Sabha polls.
• Banerjee initiated efforts to forge a common front against the BJP in the next Lok Sabha elections meeting leaders including NCP chief Sharad Pawar and BJP’s ally Shiv Sena in a bid to ensure one-to-one contest against the ruling alliance throughout the country.
• Interestingly, Banerjee is meeting BJP rebels Shatrughan Sinha, Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie on 28 Mar 18.
• Talking to reporters, she pitched for Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party coming together in Uttar Pradesh and favoured the strongest party in each state taking the lead in taking on the BJP.
• Referring to parties like the DMK, TDP and TRS led by Telangana Chief Minister Rao, Lalu Prasad’s RJD in Bihar and Naveen Patnaik in Odisha, she said each party has to be helped to get together against BJP.
• Banerjee also said as Opposition parties of the state that sends maximum MPs to the Lok Sabha, BSP and SP leaders, Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav, respectively, may hold a meeting for unity efforts and other Opposition parties could join them over a cup of tea to facilitate a larger coordination.
• Though Banerjee could not meet Sonia Gandhi on 26 Mar 18, as the Congress leader had left Parliament House before she arrived, Banerjee said she was in regular touch with Sonia Gandhi on phone and with Rahul through SMSes, in response to a media query. She may meet the Congress leaders during her stay in Delhi in the next three days.

External Link : https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/sharad-pawar-plays-united-opposition-card-aggainst-bjp-mamata-agrees/articleshow/63496854.cms

External Link : https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/time-for-bjp-to-pack-up-and-go-mamata-banerjee/articleshow/63486162.cms