Sonia to chair opposition leaders meeting on Friday, Sharad invited (Lead)

New Delhi Aug 10 (IANS) Congress President Sonia Gandhi will chair a meeting of leaders of 18 opposition parties on Friday the last day of Parliament s Monsoon Session to discuss opposition unity and chalk out a strategy against the Modi government.

Janata Dal-United leader Sharad Yadav on a Bihar visit has been invited for the meeting. Sharad Yadav on Thursday declared in Patna that he was still with the Grand Alliance of the RJD and the Congress in Bihar.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is slated to be present.

The Nationalist Congress Party of Sharad Pawar has also been invited. There were reports that two MLAs of the NCP may not have voted for Congress candidate Ahmed Patel in the Gujarat Rajya Sabha elections.

The meeting is likely to discuss an opposition rally called by Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad in Patna on August 27 which will target the newly-formed Bharatiya Janata Party-Janata Dal-United alliance government in Bihar led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The Janata Dal-United President last month snapped ties with the Grand Alliance of RJD and the Congress.

Sharad Yadav is organising a conclave in New Delhi on August 17 which will be attended by various opposition leaders.

--IANS
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