Congress president Sonia Gandhi alongwith other opposition leaders including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and the National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah came on one stage to inaugurate the DMK’s office in Delhi.
In alliance with the Congress, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is running the government in Tamil Nadu.
Sonia Gandhi cut the ribbon for one of the sections of the office while other leaders from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Communist Party of India (CPI), Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) have shared the dais at the opening of the DMK’s office in Delhi on Sunday.
The inauguration of the DMK’s office brought together several non-BJP leaders at a time when there is churning in the Opposition, with non-Congress parties exhorting everyone to unitedly fight the ruling BJP and the Congress remaining largely indifferent.
The opposition leaders have shared a stage with Sonia Gandhi days after the Congress’ another round of poll debacle in the recently concluded Assembly polls in five states. The party’s disappointing performances in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa have raised questions on the role of Grand Old Party as the main opposition in the country.
After the party’s disappointing performance in the polls and losing Punjab at the hands of the Aam Aadmi Party, Sonia Gandhi has taken the driver’s seat to exercise damage control ahead of the elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh later this year.
Poll pundits believe that a fractured opposition and the personal ambitions of opposition leaders are the main reasons behind the BJP’s unperturbed victory run.
On March 27, Banerjee wrote to all non-BJP chief ministers and opposition parties, including Congress to come for a meeting to discuss strategies to take on the BJP. In her letter, she also urged all progressive forces to come together and put up a united fight against the oppressive BJP regime.
In her letter, Banerjee was committed to the cause of a unified and principled opposition that will make way for the government that the country deserves.
Earlier this year, Banerjee had met NCP chief Sharad Pawar and called for a united anti-BJP front sans Congress. However, both the NCP and Shiv Sena made it clear that an opposition front without the Congress was not possible.