Opposition camaraderie on display at Sonia Gandhi’s dinner event

Just a year ahead of the 2019 General Assembly elections, Congress is mobilising all its resources to bring the opposition together and build a larger opposition front to take on BJP. For the same reason, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi hosted a dinner for the opposition party leaders at her home on Tuesday. The event was attended by as much as 20 opposition party leaders including NCP’s Sharad Pawar, DMK’s Kanimozhi and CPI’s D. Raja. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh too was present at the dinner event.

The development comes in the wake of talks of non-BJP, non-Congress third front are doing rounds. Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had recently proposed a third front, to which TMC’s Mamta Banerjee and AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi too declared support.

UPA Chairperson Smt Sonia Gandhi hosted a dinner for opposition leaders today. Former PM Dr Manmohan Singh and Congress President Rahul Gandhi also joined her for dinner. pic.twitter.com/VKTCyMQmDg

— Congress (@INCIndia) March 13, 2018

Surprisingly, the opposition dinner event was also attended by CPIM which, last month had passed a political resolution stating that there is no possibility of any electoral alliance with Congress. The JD(S) which is contesting against Congress in Karnataka also attended the opposition dinner event.

Apart from these leaders, SP’s Ram Gopal Yadav, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav and Misa Bharti, National Conference’s Omar Abdullah, BSP’s Satish Chandra Misra, Trinamool Congress’ Sudip Bandopadhyay, CPI(M)’s T K Rangarajan, CPI’s D Raja, JVM’s Babulal Marandi, RLD’s Ajit Singh, JMM’s Hemant Soren, and Sharad Yadav were present at the

AIUDF’s Badruddin Ajmal who was recently in controversy after Army chief Bipin Rawat raised concerns about party’s fast growth too attended the opposition dinner event. The Congress party’s spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that at the dinner table there was no discussion on politics. “However, the several issues including the plight of Farmers, youth jobs also featured in the meeting.

Surjewala further said, “The Congress believes that when the government tries to erect walls, we will clear a path for friendship and will walk together cordially.”

Fabulous dinner tonight, hosted by UPA Chairperson, Sonia Gandhi Ji. An opportunity for leaders from different political parties to meet and bond, informally.

Much political talk but much more important – tremendous positive energy, warmth and genuine affection. pic.twitter.com/IxaAm7UPoI

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 13, 2018

Congress President Rahul Gandhi attended the dinner with the senior leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mallikarjun Kharge who represented Congress. Rahul Gandhi in a tweet described the meet as fabulous and said there was tremendous positive energy, warmth and genuine affection.