Left parties likely to attend Opposition leaders' meet convened by Mamata Banerjee

New Delhi: Communist Party of India General Secretary D Raja on Tuesday said that left parties are likely to attend the meeting convened by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the national capital on Wednesday at Constitution Club to discuss the name for Opposition President candidates.

Speaking to ANI, D Raja said, "Left parties are likely to attend the meeting because left parties want all secular democratic parties which are in opposition must remain United must move unitedly that is our concern and let us see how things are going to emerge tomorrow.

On being asked about whether the Congress wants to propose Sharad Pawar as a joint Opposition candidate for President, the CPI General Secretary further said, "I don't know. You must ask Congress party. If the Congress party wants then the Congress party have to explain. Congress party has not told me on this matter or left parties. I do not know that is why I am saying who is going to be the candidate? or what the other parties are thinking? nobody knows."

"No informal, formal talks held. Pawar comes to Delhi. Whether he meets with the other parties or consults with the other parties for any consensus, we will find out," Raja added.

Mamata Banerjee has convened the Opposition leaders' meeting on June 15 in a bid to unite the opposition parties ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and prepare a joint strategy for the presidential polls.

Banerjee had written a letter to 22 opposition leaders, including left parties, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackarey, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Farooq Abdullah among others, urging them to attend the June 15 meeting in New Delhi. (ANI)