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The Left parties have taken the initiative to cobble together a united front to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government.
Former West Bengal chief minister and Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Jyoti Basu, now in New Delhi to attend a three-day party meet and address a rally on the lawns of Vithalbhai Patel House on Tuesday evening, is spearheading the efforts.
The rally will be followed by a dinner, at the residence of CPI-M Lok Sabha member Somnath Chatterjee, to be attended by almost all major opposition leaders, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Laloo Prasad Yadav.
Former prime ministers Vishwanath Pratap Singh, Chandrashekhar, H D Deve Gowda and Inder Kumar Gujral are also expected to be present.
The aim is to work jointly inside and outside Parliament to expose the 'misdeeds' of the NDA government, which is sagging under the weight of numerous scams.
The immediate aim is to reach an understanding for the upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat, a CPI-M source said.
The CPI-M believes that following the communal disturbances, the mood in Gujarat is anti-BJP and that the Congress is the only opposition party that can take on the Narendra Modi government in the assembly election.
The SP is, however, unwilling to yield demanding a quid pro quo in Uttar Pradesh for supporting the Congress in Gujarat.
Among the issues that will be discussed at the dinner are the Gujarat government's campaign against the Election Commission and the National Human Rights Commission, and Modi's determination to go ahead with the Gaurav Yatra.
In J&K, the Left favours highlighting the BJP's tieup with the Jammu State Morcha, which is backed by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and has demanded the trifurcation of J&K.
The Congress has charged the BJP of doublespeak pointing out that while Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani opposes the trifurcation proposal, the BJP had struck a pact with those favouring the same.
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