Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge with party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: Burning its finger with its unilateral decision to call an I.N.D.I.A meeting, the Congress has done the damage control by announcing that top Opposition leaders will converge in Delhi in the third week of December at a "date convenient to all" while converting its scheduled meeting on Wednesday to that of Parliamentary floor leaders.
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and her Samajwadi Party counterpart Akhilesh made it clear on Monday that they cannot attend the Wednesday meeting, which was called without consulting them on their availability, while taking a subtle dig at the Congress for its defeat in three Hindi heartland states.
Sources said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin's unavailability for the meeting due to torrential rains in his state and his presence needed there also was a factor for the Congress to tweak its stand.
The attendance of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was also not sure, as he is "unwell". Stalin and others, including Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, had requested for a change in the meeting schedule.
"A coordination meeting of Parliamentary Party leaders of India Alliance will be at 6 pm on December 6th, 2023 at the residence of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. Thereafter a meeting of Party Presidents/ Heads of the India Alliance will be scheduled in the third week of December at a date convenient to all," AICC Coordinator in the Congress president's office Gurdeep Singh Sappal posted on 'X'.
Thereafter, a meeting of Party Presidents/Heads of the India Alliance will be scheduled in the third week of December at a date convenient to all," AICC Coordinator in the Congress president's office Gurdeep Singh Sappal posted on 'X'.
RJD president Lalu Prasad, meanwhile, said that top leaders of the bloc would be meeting on December 17 to chalk out the strategy for next year's LS polls.
Congress was on the receiving end for announcing the I.N.D.I.A meeting on December 6 with several Opposition functionaries finding fault with it for suddenly coming into action after remaining silent for three months due to elections.
"This is not the way to do coalition politics. Proper consultation should have been done," a senior Congress leader told DH.
However, Congress defended the action saying the meeting was supposed to be "informal" in nature and it was known that all leaders may not be able to attend as it was called on short notice. However, a number of leaders questioned the need for calling such a meeting on short notice.
Sources said Congress' intention was not to snub any leader but it did not want to rub it in especially when leaders like Stalin could not attend. Absence of Stalin and Nitish would have added trouble for the Congress.
Earlier in the day, Congress informed the Parliamentary floor leaders during a meeting chaired by Kharge that it is planning to reschedule the meeting though the one called on Wednesday will be converted into a meeting of floor leaders where they will discuss on the next course of action.
On Monday, Mamata said that she was not told about the meeting and she would not have scheduled a meeting in North Bengal had she known about it.
She also said it was the "defeat of Congress and not that of people" in the elections while attributing the loss to the party's reluctance to cede seats to I.N.D.I.A partners.