As efforts to stitch a united opposition to bring down the saffron camp from power, two key news-making events are scheduled for Sunday.
While several prominent opposition leaders including NCP's Sharad Pawar, Bihar chief minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar and NC leader Farooq Abdullah will share the dais at a rally of the INLD in Haryana's Fatehabad, Kumar and RJD supremo Lalu Yadav are scheduled to meet UPA chairperson and Congress president Sonia Gandhi at her residence in Delhi later in the evening.
According to reports, RJD leader and Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav, CPM's Sitaram Yechury and BJP's Birender Singh will also take part in the INLD rally being organised to mark the birth anniversary of former deputy prime minister and the party's founder Devi Lal.
A PTI report said Trinamool Congress MLA Vivek Gupta will represent the party at the rally, while Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has also sent an an invite.
"It will be a historic meeting that will mark the consolidation of like-minded forces against the ruling BJP in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls," JD(U) leader KC Tyagi was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Yadav, who is battling poor health, earlier said all efforts are being made to stitch up a united Opposition to remove the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from power. Yadav and Kumar, who recently snapped ties with the BJP-led NDA and renewed his alliance with RJD to bring the Mahagathbandhan government back to power, and Yadav are likely to meet Gandhi on Sunday evening.
"We are making every effort for Opposition unity," said Yadav, adding this will the agenda of their meeting.
{{/usCountry}}"We are making every effort for Opposition unity," said Yadav, adding this will the agenda of their meeting.
{{/usCountry}}Ever since he split with the NDA, Kumar has been stressing the need for unity among the non-BJP parties, including the Congress. Last month, he came to Delhi to hold talks with a number of key leaders, including Congress' Rahul Gandhi, Pawar and AAP's Arvind Kejriwal. While dismissing talks of his desire to become the Prime Minister, Kumar has been saying the need of the hour is bring the opposition together to overthrow the BJP from power in 2024.
(With agency inputs)