Naidu to attend Mamata’s anti-BJP rally on Jan 19

Shubhadeep Choudhury

Tribune News Service

Kolkata, November 19

The January 19 rally called by West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee at the iconic Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata promises to be a grand show of Opposition unity against PM Narendra Modi and the BJP-led Centre before the Lok Sabha polls.

Talking to reporters here in the presence of Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu, Mamata said “except one or two”, all other parties invited by her had confirmed participation in the rally.

The rally is designed to kick off Mamata’s campaign for the LS elections in the state with the TMC chief projected as a probable contender for the PM’s post.

“We have received invitation and we will attend the rally,” Naidu announced. He landed in Kolkata this afternoon and met Mamata at her office at the secretariat building. The meeting lasted for about an hour. The two CMs discussed the issue of cobbling up a front against the BJP.

Naidu, whose TDP was earlier an ally of the BJP, has been meeting various leaders, including Congress president Rahul Gandhi, NCP’s Sharad Pawar, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, JD-S chief and former PM HD Deve Gowda and his son and Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy and DMK president MK Stalin as part of his efforts to forge a front against the ruling BJP at the Centre.

Naidu said a meeting of various Opposition parties was being organised in Delhi before the winter session of Parliament to chalk out a plan to corner the BJP.

“The meeting was to be held on November 22 but had to be deferred in view of the Assembly elections in some states. Fresh date will be announced soon,” he said.