New Delhi, June 11:
TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday to discuss opposition coordination and the way forward for the INDIA bloc as the Mamata Banerjee-led party is grappling with a deepening internal crisis marked by fresh resignations and an escalating rebellion within its ranks.
The nearly-90-minute meeting in New Delhi came a day after Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee met Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, with TMC leaders indicating that the discussions were part of the continuing engagement between INDIA bloc partners following Monday’s opposition meeting in the capital.
According to a senior TMC MP, Abhishek Banerjee and Rahul Gandhi discussed issues raised at the INDIA bloc meeting, preparations for a proposed follow-up meeting in Hyderabad and ways in which opposition parties can work together more closely in the coming months.
“They discussed the situation, the SIR issue, much of what was covered in the INDIA bloc meeting and the way ahead. They discussed how we can together prepare for Hyderabad and follow up on the decisions taken at the INDIA bloc meeting,” the MP said.
He indicated that more such interactions between the leaders of the two parties are likely in the coming weeks as the opposition seeks to sharpen its strategy against the ruling BJP.
The meeting took place a day after Mamata Banerjee held talks with Sonia Gandhi at the latter’s New Delhi residence. According to TMC leaders, the meeting between the two veteran leaders was planned earlier and lasted around 50 minutes.
Sources said Banerjee stressed the need for opposition unity and effective coordination among INDIA bloc constituents on issues affecting the public.