United Progressive alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi reportedly wrote to all their allies and non-NDA (National Democratic Alliance) parties, Biju Janata Dal (BJD), YSR Congress, Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) inviting them to attend a meeting on May 23 to discuss the future course of action to checkmate the Narendra Modi-led NDA.
The meeting holds significance as the results for the Lok Sabha elections would be declared on the same day. The message sent out by Sonia Gandhi is that all the UPA and non-NDA parties need to rally together after the people’s verdict is announced. It is also likely that the meeting would discuss the roadmap regarding the future course of action, in case the final numbers are not in favour of the NDA.
The UPA allies are already on board and efforts are on to bring the non-NDA parties like the BJD, YSRC and TRS. Recently, TRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao met Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam supremo M.K. Stalin in Chennai when the latter suggested that KCR should join the UPA to form a government at the Centre.
It is learnt that TRS and YSRCP may not attend the meeting as they believe their numbers could make a difference either to the NDA or the UPA. According to sources, they are still weighing their options and do not want to join the Congress-led alliance of parties, of which their common rival TDP is a part. It is yet to be seen how many leaders of those invited would attend the May 23 meeting, which would entirely depend on the poll results.
