NDA ‘grand’ meet vs Oppn’s show of unity

Karnataka deputy CM D K Shivakumar welcomes TMC head Mamata Banerjee, in Bengaluru. Pics/PTI

Leaders of 38 parties have confirmed their participation in a meeting of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to be held in the national capital on Tuesday, BJP president J P Nadda said.

The coalition's reach and scope have increased over the years, he said, adding that the NDA constituents are upbeat due to the positive impact of the Narendra Modi government's schemes and policies.

The meeting of the BJP-led NDA is scheduled on a day the leaders of 26 Opposition parties are set to hold deliberations in Bengaluru to chalk out a joint strategy to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

J P Nadda, president, BJP

However, differences have started appearing before the second meeting of the Opposition parties. CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury on Monday ruled out any alliance with the TMC in West Bengal. "Mamata Banerjee and CPI(M) will not happen. There will be secular parties along with the Left and the Congress in West Bengal which will fight against the BJP and the TMC," he said.

Yechury referred to the 2004 model that brought the Left-Congress coalition to power at the Centre.

"The situation is different in every state. The effort is to ensure that in these situations the division of votes which gives BJP the advantage should be minimal. This is not a new thing. Like in 2004, the Left had 61 seats, out of which we won 57 defeating the Congress candidates...then Manmohan Singh government was formed and it ran for 10 years.

West Bengal has been a bone of contention within the Opposition ranks. The Left parties have attacked Banerjee over the violence in the recently concluded panchayat polls in the state.

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