Opposition’s show of strength at Kolkata rally on Saturday

Smita Sharma 

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 18

Days after the BJP blew the election bugle at its National Council Meet in Delhi, Opposition parties are now preparing to flex muscles in Kolkata.

The Opposition forces are set to join hands at a rally at the historic Brigade Ground in Kolkata on Saturday.

Driven by Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the message to take on the BJP ruled ‘communal’ alliance will resonate loud and clear at the gathering.TMC sources on Friday claimed that a massive crowd of 40 lakh people is expected, with estimated 4 lakh already having converged in the city. 

Of the political opponents of the Narendra Modi government, those expected to be present on stage include AkhileshYadav (SP), Satish Misra (BSP), CB Naidu (TDP), MK Stalin (DMK) , HD Kumaraswamy and HD Devegowda (JDS), Arvind Kejriwal (AAP), Dr. Farooq Abdullah and  Omar Abdullah (NC) , Tejashwi Yadav (RJD) Sharad Pawar (NCP), Ajit Singh/Jayant Chowdhury (RLD) , former JDU leader Sharad Yadav. BJD, TRS and Left parties will, however, be missing on the stage.

BJP Lok Sabha MP from Bihar Shatrughan Sinha is also expected to join forces with former party colleagues-turned-fierce critics of Modi—Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie.

Former Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Gegong Apang, who recently resigned from the primary membership of the party after penning a scathing criticism of the top leadership in a letter to Amit Shah, is expected to attend tyhe rally. 

Former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren (JMM), Opposition Leader in Mizoram  Lalduwahawma (ZNP) and young firebrands Hardik Patel and Jignesh Mevani will also be part of the rally, said sources. 

Ahead of the rally, taking a dig at PM Modi, Hardik Patel in a post on Twitter questioned the ongoing Vibrant Gujarat summit and investment figures in thousands of crores claimed by the government. ‘When will people get jobs’, he asked.  

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi who is giving the rally a miss has nominated senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge to represent the Congress at the event organised by the TMC.