Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee held a meeting here on 10 June, amid efforts by the opposition INDIA bloc to strengthen coordination and maintain unity.
The meeting at 10 Janpath took place a day after Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee met former Congress president Sonia Gandhi at her residence and discussed ways to further consolidate the opposition alliance.
Sources said Wednesday's meeting between Gandhi and Abhishek Banerjee is being seen as part of the ongoing engagement between the Congress and the Trinamool Congress following discussions at the INDIA bloc meeting held in Delhi earlier this week.
While details of the meeting were not immediately available, it comes at a time when the Trinamool Congress is faced with a rebellion within its ranks following its defeat in the recent West Bengal Assembly elections.
At the INDIA bloc meeting on Monday, opposition leaders emphasised the need for greater coordination and unity among alliance partners in taking on the BJP.
Mamata Banerjee had urged constituents of the alliance to set aside differences and work together on issues concerning the public.
Rahul met Banerjee on a day whem another TMC leader Sushmita Devs resigned from Rajya Sabha. This is the second TMC Member of Parliament (MP) to have resigned from the upper house.
In a letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman CP Radhakrishnan, Sushmita Dev wrote: “I do hereby resign from the membership of Rajya Sabha, which may please be accepted with immediate effect.”
“I convey my sincere gratitude to your Excellency, Honorable Deputy Chairman and all functionaries of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat extending all help and cooperation during my tenure as a Member of the Rajya Sabha,” she said.
Earlier, Sushmita Dev had met Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in New Delhi on Wednesday, June 10, morning. There is speculation that she may also join the BJP at a later stage. Sushmita Dev was earlier with the Congress before switching to the TMC.
(With agency inputs)
