3rd front buzz, Pawar to host Oppn leaders today

New Delhi, June 21

The first signs of a possible realignment of Opposition forces ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections appeared on Monday with NCP chief Sharad Pawar inviting a host of non-BJP leaders and activists at his residence tomorrow to discuss the prevailing political scene.

Pawar sent out invitations after meeting election strategist Prashant Kishor for the second time in 10 days, sparking speculation that a third front could be in the works. Nawab Malik, NCP spokesperson, said: “Pawar is trying to unite the Opposition.The NCP national executive will meet in the Capital tomorrow.”

15 parties invited

Invites to 15 parties sent on the letterhead of Rashtra Manch, a political action group formed by TMC’s Yashwant Sinha in 2018 to bring anti-BJP forces together.

The invites to 15 parties, including AAP, DMK, RJD, CPI, CPM, Congress, TMC, SP and NC, are learnt to have been sent on the letterhead of Rashtra Manch, a political action group which former NDA minister Yashwant Sinha had formed in 2018 to bring together anti-BJP forces. Now a TMC vice-president, Sinha is among those who will attend the meeting at Pawar’s residence tomorrow. Pawar and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee are politically linked by Kishor, who is exploring possibilities of a national-level coalition against the BJP for the 2024 General Election as well as state elections, including those coming up in UP.

Also among the invitees are former JD(U) leader Pawan Verma, AAP MP Sanjay Singh, CPI general secretary D Raja, NC chief Farooq Abdullah, lyricist Javed Akhtar, MPs KTS Tulsi, former Congress spokesperson Sanjay Jha and SP’s Ghanshyam Tiwari.

Former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi, Sudheendra Kulkarni, a former aide of BJP veteran LK Advani, and senior lawyer Colin Gonsalves are expected at the meeting too. It is unclear if the Congress will be part of the exercise. — TNS