CMP, seat sharing to be decided at Shimla meet: GA leaders after key Opp meeting

In the meeting, the leaders proposed a formula of performance in the past three elections, including both assembly and Lok Sabha, along with the vote share in these polls to decide on parties getting tickets to have united opposition candidates

The mega Opposition meet in Patna on Friday has resolved to ink a common national agenda or common minimum programme (CMP) to work out a seat-sharing arrangement on a state-specific basis and also draw up an agitational programme on peoples’ issues at the next meeting in Shimla in July in their bid to forge a coalition to challenge the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 parliamentary elections, according to leaders from the grand alliance (GA) who attended the meeting.

Opposition meet in Patna on Friday (File Photo)

In the meeting, the leaders proposed a formula of performance in the past three elections, including both assembly and Lok Sabha, along with the vote share in these polls to decide on parties getting tickets to have united opposition candidates.

The GA leaders feel that the formula will present fairness to the seat-sharing among political parties, especially in the states with regional parties.

Leaders aware of the discussion at the meeting said the four-hour-long deliberations at the meeting hosted by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar at his official residence and attended by 15 opposition parties discussed the broad outline of the proposed anti-BJP front, the challenges before the opposition and how a seat-sharing arrangement could be done for the new coalition by taking into account that the political dynamics varied in each state.

The leaders said the meeting discussed the structure of the proposed front, and nomenclature and also resolved that a convenor for the proposed front would be announced at the Shimla meeting in all probability.

There are speculations that CM Kumar would be made the convenor of the new front in the Shimla meeting to be held tentatively on July 10 or July 12, said the leaders.

Opposition leaders from 15 parties, including six chief ministers, attended the unity meeting in Patna, with the exception of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). In the meeting, the leaders announced that they will collectively challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government in the 2024 parliamentary elections.

AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann attended the meeting but skipped the press briefing, citing issues over a “black ordinance” from Congress. The next meeting will be held in Shimla on either 10 or 12 July.

AAP row:

The leaders said that there were deliberation on the AAP demand for Congress and other opposition parties’ support in opposing the ordinance brought by the Centre for control of administrative services in Delhi in Rajya Sabha, and there was a consensus view taken that opposition parties, including the Congress, would be opposing the ordinance as a united bloc.

However, they added that the AAP leaders were keen that an announcement of the meeting’s resolve to oppose the ordinance should be announced at a press conference after the meeting, which apparently did not find much merit from the Congress and other leaders.

The theory has some credence because AAP chief and Delhi chief minister along with Punjab chief minister Bhagwat Maan were not present at the presser held after the meeting as CM Kumar claimed Kejriwal and Maan had to leave for Delhi because of work.

“The AAP was keen that an announcement be made that opposition would oppose the ordinance in Rajya Sabha. But there was a view among leaders that when the time comes, the ordinance would be opposed in Rajya Sabha,” said a senior GA leader, in the know of the matter.

Meanwhile, in a statement released in the evening by AAP after the meeting concluded, it said, ‘’Except for the Indian National Congress, all other 11 parties, which have representation in the Rajya Sabha, have clearly expressed their stand against the black ordinance (Centres’s ordinance on Delhi govt) and announced that they would oppose it in the Rajya Sabha.”

AAP leader Kejriwal wrote a letter seeking clarification from opposition leaders on their stand over the ordinance before Friday’s meeting, which had evoked a strong reaction from the Congress.

“It was a consensus view that the ordinance was not an issue confined only to Delhi government as had a pan-India effect because it was an attack on the constitution. We will oppose it unitedly,” said a leader, present at the meeting.

Seat sharing:

The Opposition leaders confirmed that there was a discussion on the structure of the proposed front, seat-sharing arrangement and CMP at the meeting. Insiders said the leaders discussed how there were complexities in seat adjustment in various states because the electoral dynamics of regional players and national parties varied from state to state.

“The seat-sharing arrangement would be done on a state-to-state basis so that each ally be it a regional party or national party can get adequate seat allotments in their respective states,” said another grand alliance functionary.

Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said the meeting was a good beginning for opposition unity and many aspects like the possibilities of defeating the BJP by forging a united opposition front was discussed. “The opposition has 63% and BJP has 37% votes. If we fight unitedly, we can always reduce the BJP to 20% of votes,” Bhattacharya said.

He also said agitational programmes in the run-up to the parliamentary polls next year by the united opposition would be also drawn up on key issues like attacks on federal structure, and weakening of constitutional bodies allegedly by the BJP-led government at the Centre.

“We will meet again in July in Shimla to prepare an agenda on how to move ahead together while working in our respective states to fight the BJP in 2024,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said.

Bihar CM and Janata Dal-United leader Nitish Kumar said the opposition parties had a “good meeting” in Patna and it has been decided to fight the elections together.

GA leaders also said at the Shimla meeting, many new partners who opposed the BJP, including Rashtriya Lok Dal, All India United Democratic Front, and a few parties from Kerala, would also participate.