Parliament Winter Session: AAP, TMC Make Surprise Attendance At Cong-led Strategy Meet Of ‘Like-Minded’ Opposition Parties

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday called a meeting of opposition parties at parliament to evolve a joint strategy for the Winter Session of Parliament. Apart from the usual attendees, the meeting featured two unexpected participants – the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Trinamool Congress.

The presence of AAP and TMC came as a surprise at Kharge’s meeting as both parties for long have refused to fall in line with Congress-led moves in parliament.

Both parties did not make an appearance at the Congress-led November 29  meeting of opposition floor leaders seeking to build consensus on issues to be raised in the winter session.

AAP and TMC also skipped similar meetings in July during the monsoon session.

Congress-Strategy Meet

Apart from AAP and TMC, Left parties, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), NC and the RSP were represented in the meeting convened before the session commenced.

Kharge, who is the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha had called a meeting of “like-minded opposition parties” to discuss a joint strategy for the winter session, which commenced today.

In this session of Parliament, the opposition is seeking to corner the government on several issues including price rise, and unemployment and is demanding a discussion on the border security situation in the wake of “incursion” by China and the alleged misuse of agencies by the government.

“Parliament is the abode of democratic deliberation. We, the like-minded parties will strongly raise all the issues relevant to our people. PM @narendramodi ji, you spoke about opposition getting more chance to participate, therefore we expect the Govt to walk its talk,” Kharge tweeted.

“If laws are made in haste, then they attract judicial scrutiny. Therefore, we expect that all important Bills should be sent to Joint/Select Committees, so that they are carefully examined. We are ready to extend full cooperation in parliamentary processes and debates,” he said.

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