<p>Ahead of the first meeting of the non-BJP opposition in Patna on June 23, a preliminary discussion has been initiated on setting up a committee to draft a Common Minimum Program (CMP) under the stewardship of the Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar.</p>.<p>Sources say that Janata Dal (United)- which is hosting the first meet- is of the view that a broad understanding of the common minimum program would give ideological coherence to the opposition’s unity move.</p>.<p>“Nitish Kumar has made it clear on many occasions that he is not the PM candidate. He is trying to bring the opposition together and formation of committees should be seen as part of a larger exercise”; said a leader who is part of the Patna parleys.</p>.<p><strong>Watch | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/video/national/national-politics/sharad-pawar-clears-party-s-stand-on-opposition-unity-1226752.html" target="_blank">Sharad Pawar clears party’s stand on Opposition unity</a></strong></p>.<p>Pawar’s name is also being mooted considering his vast experience in managing political alliances. The Maratha strongman was instrumental in the formation of the anti-BJP front in Maharashtra after the last assembly polls in the state in 2019 when he succeeded in bringing disparate political groups like Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena and Congress on one platform. </p>.<p>If one were to discount the PV Narasimha Rao-led minority government between 1991-96, Congress has been involved in the formation of four non-BJP coalition governments at the centre- two each between 1996 to 1998 and 2004 to 2014. On all four occasions, coalition formation and the subsequent drafting of the CMP for running the government have been a post-poll exercise. Citing these examples, a section feels that this time too, CMP should be contingent upon the outcome of the elections.</p>.<p>However, the proponents of the pre-poll CMP argue that a broad understanding of the contours of the alliance would minimise multi-cornered contests in many constituencies containing the division of anti-BJP votes. The talks are already on to have a single opposition candidate against the BJP in at-least 400 Lok Sabha seats in the 2024 General Elections.</p>.<p>However, that seems to be a tall order, as Congress is said to be laying claims to over 300 seats. Of these, the party either won or was the runner-up in 252 constituencies in the 2019 elections.</p>
<p>Ahead of the first meeting of the non-BJP opposition in Patna on June 23, a preliminary discussion has been initiated on setting up a committee to draft a Common Minimum Program (CMP) under the stewardship of the Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar.</p>.<p>Sources say that Janata Dal (United)- which is hosting the first meet- is of the view that a broad understanding of the common minimum program would give ideological coherence to the opposition’s unity move.</p>.<p>“Nitish Kumar has made it clear on many occasions that he is not the PM candidate. He is trying to bring the opposition together and formation of committees should be seen as part of a larger exercise”; said a leader who is part of the Patna parleys.</p>.<p><strong>Watch | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/video/national/national-politics/sharad-pawar-clears-party-s-stand-on-opposition-unity-1226752.html" target="_blank">Sharad Pawar clears party’s stand on Opposition unity</a></strong></p>.<p>Pawar’s name is also being mooted considering his vast experience in managing political alliances. The Maratha strongman was instrumental in the formation of the anti-BJP front in Maharashtra after the last assembly polls in the state in 2019 when he succeeded in bringing disparate political groups like Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena and Congress on one platform. </p>.<p>If one were to discount the PV Narasimha Rao-led minority government between 1991-96, Congress has been involved in the formation of four non-BJP coalition governments at the centre- two each between 1996 to 1998 and 2004 to 2014. On all four occasions, coalition formation and the subsequent drafting of the CMP for running the government have been a post-poll exercise. Citing these examples, a section feels that this time too, CMP should be contingent upon the outcome of the elections.</p>.<p>However, the proponents of the pre-poll CMP argue that a broad understanding of the contours of the alliance would minimise multi-cornered contests in many constituencies containing the division of anti-BJP votes. The talks are already on to have a single opposition candidate against the BJP in at-least 400 Lok Sabha seats in the 2024 General Elections.</p>.<p>However, that seems to be a tall order, as Congress is said to be laying claims to over 300 seats. Of these, the party either won or was the runner-up in 252 constituencies in the 2019 elections.</p>