Mallikarjun Kharge Dials MK Stalin For Opposition Meeting: Sources

In an effort to consolidate the opposition parties against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, the Congress party has proposed a meeting of like-minded party leaders to discuss the current political situation and strategy in the run-up to next year's national elections, sources told NDTV on Friday.

According to sources, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has reached out to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK Chief MK Stalin over the phone and invited him to join the proposed meeting. The DMK, which is a key ally of the Congress in Tamil Nadu and at the national level, has extended its support to the Congress's plan for an opposition meeting.

However, no date and venue for the meeting have been finalised yet, as the Congress is waiting for the response of other opposition parties such as the Trinamool Congress, the Samajwadi Party, the Nationalist Congress Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, and the Left parties.

The Congress's move comes after the generally splintered opposition parties, impelled by the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from parliament, mustered a united front against the government during the budget session.

The Congress hopes to build on this unity and form a broader alliance of opposition parties ahead of the 2024 general elections.