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AAP national convenor is in touch with eight non-Congress CMs; He calls them G8
While the effort to cobble up a united opposition to take on the might of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 general election is yet to take any final shape, with various protagonists in the opposition camp mulling different efforts.
Amid all the political movements, Delhi Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, one of the earliest proponents for a united opposition, announced on Wednesday, March 22, that he is in touch with eight non-Congress Chief ministers.
“We are in touch with eight Chief ministers. It’s a governance process. We will be visiting each other’s states to learn the process of good governance,” CM Kejriwal said on Wednesday.
The group of eight CMs, whom CM Kejriwal referred to as the G8, include Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, Telangana CM K Chandrashekhar Rao, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and himself.
CM Kejriwal said that the initiative is not a political platform but for good governance, with states learning from various welfare projects undertaken by each government.
“It’s neither a political platform nor a third front. It is a governance platform. We will all be meeting soon,” CM Kejriwal said.
Despite his attempts to paint the initiative as a platform for good governance, there is no doubt that the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) national convenor harboured a long-cherished dream to bring the opposition together to fight the BJP juggernaut in the next general election.
His best wishes, however, look like a far-fetched dream with the opposition, which, despite their common agenda to contain the BJP, is far from being united.
The reason is not difficult to understand, with various leaders of the opposition trying to project themselves as the leader of the group – and a contender for the Prime minister’s chair.
It is no secret that Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee and Janata Dal (United) boss Nitish Kumar, despite his regular denials, harbours the dream of leading the opposition.
It is a similar case for CM Kejriwal, as AAP has been projecting itself as an alternative to the present central government while highlighting the welfare work done by the party in Delhi.
One of the key contentions for the opposition is the presence of Congress in the mix. Many opposition parties subscribe to the view that the presence of Congress in the mix is necessary owing to its pan-Indian presence, even if it is declining.
At the same time, there are many political parties in the opposition that propagate the need for a Third Front sans the Grand Old Party.
