Sonia Gandhi takes charge to ‘unite’ Opposition parties ahead of May 23 results

New Delhi: With just one phase to go for the Lok Sabha Elections 2019 and results due on May 23, former Congress president and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi has set in motion efforts to bring together opposition parties.

It has been learned that Sonia Gandhi has reached out to almost all Opposition party leaders to check their availability on May 21, 22 and 23 for a strategy meeting in Delhi. The DMK has confirmed that they have received the invite for chief MK Stalin to be in the national capital on the said dates.

Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Deve Gowda has also confirmed that he will also be reaching Delhi on May 23 afternoon for a meeting with Sonia Gandhi.

Sources said Sonia has not just reached out to allies but also other like-minded parties like the BJD and the TRS in order to come together in a bid to keep PM Narendra Modi-led BJP out of power. The UPA chairperson is



believed to be attempting to convince the parties that it was time to keep petty politics aside.

It may be recalled that a similar strategy was adopted by Sonia Gandhi during the 2004 Lok Sabha Elections after which the UPA came into being.

However, it is interesting that such efforts are again being spearheaded by Sonia Gandhi instead of current Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

According to sources, Sonia’s exercise is aimed at reaching some sort of understanding among opposition parties ahead of the results on May 23, so that they could be in a position to get the first invite from President Ram Nath Kovind to form the government if the mandate turns out to be fractured.

Due to ill-health, Sonia Gandhi did not actively participate in the Lok Sabha election campaign. However, amid murmurs of a fractured mandate, she has again taken the lead in uniting the opposition, sources said.