Uddhav Thackeray, Mamata Banerjee emphasised on vaccine-discrimination against non-BJP states: Sonia Gandhi

Sonia Gandhi | Pic/Pallav Paliwal

Congress interim president, Sonia Gandhi, had called a virtual meeting with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and many other top Opposition leaders this Friday.

Reportedly, this meeting is a part of Congress' ongoing efforts to unite various opposition parties on important issues to defeat the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming Assembly elections in five states.

Also Read: Those who believe in democracy should come together: Sharad Pawar

Earlier, speaking to the ANI, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said, "A number of issues including 2024 Lok Sabha elections and upcoming state elections are expected to be discussed in the meeting."

As per ANI, Sonia Gandhi acknowledged the role of Uddhav Thackeray and Mamata Banerjee in pointing out "vaccine-discrimination" against non-BJP states. She also acknowledged Sharad Pawar's role in identifying Home Ministry's interference in state govt's constitutional rights and responsibilities.

She added that the opposition parties have to "plan systematically" for the ultimate goal of Lok Sabha Elections 2024.

"Of course, the ultimate goal is the 2024 Lok Sabha elections for which we have to begin to plan systematically with the single-minded objective of giving to our country a government that believes in the values of the freedom movement and in the principles and provisions of our Constitution," she said.

"This is a challenge, but together we can and must rise to it because there is simply no alternative to working cohesively together. We all have our compulsions, but clearly, a time has come when the interests of our nation demand that we rise above them," Gandhi said.

Among those who participated in the meeting were NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her counterparts from Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, Uddhav Thackeray and MK Stalin.

Parties that attended the meeting are: TMC, NCP, DMK, Shiv Sena, JMM, CPI, CPI(M), NC, RJD, AIUDF, VCK, Loktantrik Janata Dal, JD(S), RLD, RSP, Kerala Congress (Mani), PDP and IUML.

(With PTI inputs)