Mamata’s move to convene Oppn leaders’ meet unilateral, will harm unity: Yechury

New Delhi: CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Saturday said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s “unilateral” attempt to stitch together a united Opposition ahead of the presidential poll will only do the opposite.
Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress supremo, has written to opposition leaders, requesting them to attend a meeting on June 15 convened by her in New Delhi to prepare a joint strategy for the July 18 poll to elect a successor to President Ram Nath Kovind.
Yechury said that June 15 has already been decided as the day of meeting by senior leaders of opposition parties, including Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin.
Also Read Mamata convenes meeting of opposition leaders, CMs on upcoming presidential poll “I have learnt from social media that a letter has been sent to me also. Normally such meetings are conducted after considerable mutual consultations. These consultations were going on and a time and a date had been fixed.
“Mamata Banerjee shot off a letter unilaterally. This is highly unusual. The focus is to unite maximum opposition parties. Any unilateral action will ensure only the opposite, harm opposition unity,” Yechury said.
According to sources, opposition leaders are not happy with Banerjee’s move and feel this is yet another attempt by the TMC chief to outdo other senior leaders and present herself as the leader of an anti-BJP front.