New Delhi, July 18
With the Parliament’s Monsoon Session all set to commence from July 21, the Congress has called the meeting of the INDIA bloc parties to prepare strategy for the session and has reached out to several partners and many top leaders have confirmed for their presence, sources said on Friday. A party source said that Congress has initiated major reach out to INDIA bloc partners and many of them have confirmed for their presence that will be held virtually on Saturday at 7 p.m. The source said that earlier July 19 meeting of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc was all set to take place in offline mode at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge I.e.10 Rajaji Marg.
Why the meeting mode changed to online format?
The source said that looking at the short notice of the meeting for a physical meeting, many parties asked to shift it to online mode and thus decision was taken to hold it virtually for maximum participation. The source said that Congress president Kharge would be joining the meeting from Bengaluru while from Delhi CPP chairperson Sonia Gandhi and LoP LS Rahul Gandhi will join. Similarly, Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal will join the meeting from Kerala.
Besides the Congress leaders, Trinamool Congress’ Abhishek Banerjee, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and some other leaders from his party will be joining the virtual meeting. Even from NCP-SP Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule will be joining the meeting while MK Stalin will lead the DMK at the meeting. From Rashtriya Janata Dal, Tejashwi Yadav will be joining the meeting, the sources said besides other leaders from the Left parties and other parties.
AAP no more a part of the INDIA alliance
Meanwhile, Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP on Friday afternoon announced that it is no more part of the INDIA bloc and thus it will not join the meeting. However, Trinamool Congress joining the meeting comes as a big boost for the opposition bloc ahead of the crucial Monsoon Session. The Congress had held the meeting of its Parliamentary Strategy Group just three days ago and decided to raise the issue of Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor in wake of US President Donald Trump repeatedly claiming for brokering ceasefire between India and Pakistan.
The Congress had also said that it will be raising the issue of the Special Intensive Revision of the voter rolls in Bihar during the Monsoon Session besides other issues.
Earlier in the month of June, the INDIA bloc partners had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding to convene the special session of the Parliament over the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. The government had rejected the demand and announced to convene the Parliament’s Monsoon Session from July 21.
The Monsoon Session is set to be a stormy session as opposition is preparing to corner the government over multiple issues.
