Intense negotiations, 6 drafts behind rare show of Opposition unity | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
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Intense negotiations, 6 drafts behind rare show of Opposition unity

Aug 04, 2022 05:38 AM IST

Two senior Trinamool leaders told other Opposition leaders that the document—a reaction to the Supreme Court’s ruling—needed to be seen by a legal expert.

New Delhi: The Opposition’s statement on the recent Supreme Court judgment on the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) underlined rare unity between the Congress party, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC), but it came after intense negotiations and at least six drafts.

Oppn unity has proved elusive in the past. The last two attempts to forge one, in the Presidential election and the upcoming vice presidential polls, failed (ANI)
Oppn unity has proved elusive in the past. The last two attempts to forge one, in the Presidential election and the upcoming vice presidential polls, failed (ANI)

According to a senior leader involved in behind-the-scenes discussions between various opposition parties, “a senior Left leader, who is an expert in drafting such documents for opposition parties, drafted the initial version, but Trinamool refused to sign it, arguing that a wider consultation was needed before the statement is finalised”.

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Two senior Trinamool leaders told other Opposition leaders that the document—a reaction to the Supreme Court’s ruling—needed to be seen by a legal expert.

Also read: ‘Deeply apprehensive of…': Oppn on Supreme Court upholding stringent provisions of Money Laundering Act

“And while the Congress offered to get it vetted by in-house legal experts, TMC leadership wanted Kapil Sibal, a former Congress minister and now an independent Rajya Sabha MP, to give his inputs,” said a senior Opposition leader.

Then, the drafters reached out to Aam Aadmi Party leaders Raghav Chaddha and Sanjay Singh.

“Our stand was clear. In the current situation, Opposition unity can only be displayed in the Rajya Sabha in this current political situation. So, we tried to convince the AAP that on such issues, all Opposition parties can come together,” said the first leader.

This unity has proved elusive in the past. The last two attempts to forge one, in the Presidential election and the upcoming vice presidential polls, failed. The AAP was not present in the two meetings to discuss Opposition’s presidential candidate.

Trinamool skipped the Opposition meeting on the vice presidential candidate and later announced that it would abstain from the election as the Opposition candidate Margaret Alva was picked without consulting them.

TMC and AAP don’t attend any floor coordination meeting called by the Congress and TMC’s reservations about Congress’s Lok Sabha floor leader Adhir Chowdhury have hampered effective Opposition coordination in the Lok Sabha.

Also read: V-P polls: Shibu Soren-led JMM to support Oppn candidate Margaret Alva. She responds

On Wednesday, while intense discussions on the statement were on, it was also decided that the Opposition would not reach out to Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal.

Trinamool’s Rajya Sabha floor leader Derek O’Brien said, “The BJD has officially become a trusted ally of the BJP for all practical purposes. There is no point talking to them about Opposition issues.”

O’ Brien added that both the Congress and the TMC have also sought time with the President Droupadi Murmu to flag the Opposition’s concerns over the PMLA amendments to her.

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