After the meeting, we will get a clear trajectory of what we have to do next as a united team’
The much awaited Patna meet of all like-minded, anti-BJP parties, will be held on 12 June. The event has its significance as the meet will create a platform for negotiations between anti-BJP parties, who, together, are expected to create a firm front against the saffron party for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. “After the meeting, we will get a clear trajectory of what we have to do next as a united team,” a Congress leader said.
However, there are still some parties who don’t want to be seen with the Congress, as it is the main opposition of those parties in their states. Asked whether Orissa Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal chief Naveen Patnaik and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao will attend the meeting as Nitish Kumar has already met them, a senior JDU leader said, “Naveen Patnaik will not come and K. Chandrashekhar Rao may also not come to the meeting. But if the meeting is successful and all the leaders present in the meet show tendency to come together on all accounts, then KCR may come in the next Opposition meeting. Naveen Patnaik has a good relationship with Nitishji and that could be the reason that he may also come later when the elections are close.”
Moreover, even if the Opposition comes together, there are several challenges among the state cadres who are refusing to make any truce. A section of leaders believe the Congress should contest the elections in those states alone wherever they are a strong. An ex-president of a state said, “We may ally with other parties who are in opposition to us, but it will weaken our cadres and weaken our strength in several places. We should have a long-term view when we are going for such alliances.”
Asked if the Congress is willing to make changes in the states where its units are helmed by leaders who have vehemently been targeting the expected alliance partners like in West Bengal (TMC led by Mamata Banerjee), Delhi (AAP led by Arvind Kejriwal) and Telangana (BRS led by KCR), a Congress former Union cabinet minister Salman Khurshid said, “We will see after the Opposition meet. If it is successful, there could be a lot of changes and the Congress will see where they have to make changes and it will do so.”
He further added, “Congress has taken a soft stance and is being welcoming to every other party even when Mamata Banerjee suggested to have the grand Opposition meet in Patna. The Congress agreed to it. This shows that the Congress is not showing any big brother attitude and is quite simply trying to allow things happen smoothly. But it is not like they will say that Congress should not fight in their states or there will be alliance and the Congress will get zero seats. That is not possible.”
AICC leaders close to the top leadership suggest that the high command may convince the state cadres in Delhi, Punjab, Telangana and West Bengal to take a “soft approach” towards the non-BJP parties (who are expected to come in alliance) that are running the state governments. A leader said, “There is a lot of resistance from the four states on the issue of alliance and if the Patna meet proves to be a success, then the Congress will have to take appropriate steps to get these cadres in tandem with the idea of grand alliance.”