NEW DELHI/BENGALURU: Though the Congress may be looking to turn the swearing-in ceremony of Siddaramaiah as a platform to bring together Opposition leaders ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, some prominent players may not be on board. Sources said the Congress invite includes UPA constituents with whom the party has a floor arrangement in Parliament. The swearing-in is due May 20.
West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee will not be attending the swearing-in ceremony of Congress leader Siddaramaiah as the Karnataka CM and has designated party leader Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar for the programme, a Trinamool Congress leader said. Mamata, an important player in the anti-BJP camp, changed her stance towards Congress after its resounding victory in the Karnataka elections. Banerjee signalled at supporting Congress in states where it is prominent. She also said that Congress should make some sacrifices and extend similar support to other political parties.
Another crucial player in the anti-BJP grouping is Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who is likely to attend the ceremony, said a senior party leader. “It would be a powerful moment in politics with opposition parties coming together on a platform which demolished the BJP’s hardcore narrative of hate politics. Akhilesh ji has supported Mamata Banerjee’s idea,” said the SP leader. However, BSP chief Mayawati is not invited, sources said.
Congress has not extended an invitation to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Sinking their differences, both AAP and Congress have been actively making efforts to unite all opposition parties ahead of the 2024 elections. While CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury has been invited, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan is not on the list. In Kerala, Congress and CPM are the main political players.
Others on the invitation list include Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav, National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, among others.
"While there were talks at the national level to ally against the BJP keeping Congress at bay as the party was losing elections, the Karnataka results have given a big boost to the party at the national front, reigniting the talks that Congress should lead other parties in the fight against the BJP. The party has planned to seize this opportunity and send a clear message that Congress is ready to lead the fight against the BJP by bringing together leaders of all parties on a single stage," an informed source told The New Indian Express.
Chief Ministers of many non-BJP-ruled states had attended HD Kumaraswamy’s swearing-in ceremony in 2018.
The participation of Congress national leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi is almost confirmed, while it is learnt that Siddaramaiah has extended a personal invitation to the former prime minister and JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda and former CM and BJP leader BS Yediyurappa.
Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar, who returned from Delhi after being chosen as the CM and DyCM respectively, were given a rousing welcome by the party workers at Bengaluru's HAL airport. Thousands of their supporters had gathered at the airport and they showered petals on the vehicles carrying the leaders.
Sree Kanteerava Stadium is getting ready to host the swearing-in ceremony on Saturday. Arrangements are underway at the outdoor stadium, where more than 50,000 people can take part. The authorities are making all preparations for the mega event.