Embarrassment For AAP As Seven CMs Of Non-Congress, Non-BJP Parties Snub Kejriwal's "G-8" Dinner

Arvind Kejriwal, national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has a long way to go before he could be taken seriously as a national player.

In a major snub, an invitation, by the AAP supremo, Arvind Kejriwal, to a dinner on 18 March was ignored by the chief ministers of seven non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), non-Congress governed states.

Kejriwal had hoped to create a coalition for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, but had his hopes dashed when none of the invitees showed up.

The incident is a significant setback for the AAP, who sought to establish itself as the central force in a non-BJP, non-Congress alliance leading up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The proposed dinner gathering, which Kejriwal called the "Progressive Chief Ministers' Group of India" or G-8, was intended to include eight leaders, with a press conference scheduled for the following day.

Kejriwal's letter, sent earlier this month, invited the chief ministers of West Bengal, Bihar, Telangana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, and Punjab to join him at Kapurthala House in the national capital.

In the letter, Kejriwal expressed enthusiasm at the idea of launching the G8 in Delhi, which would mark the beginning of a "new era of inter-state cooperation".

Kejriwal also suggested that the G-8 could introduce itself to the Indian public through a joint press conference. He emphasized choosing a weekend date to avoid conflicts with budget sessions.

Sources from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's office revealed that the letter was sent on 5 February. Banerjee initially considered the idea but ultimately dropped it.

Her party, the Trinamool Congress, recently announced that it would contest the Lok Sabha polls independently, without Congress or BJP support.

While dismissing the idea of a third front, the Trinamool Congress spokesperson mentioned the possibility of regional players, including former National Democratic Alliance (NDA) allies, uniting before the 2024 general elections.

The Janata Dal (United)-JD(U), currently governing Bihar in alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), has been hesitant to publicly align with AAP, despite Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's meeting with Kejriwal following the Mahagathbandhan's formation.

The JD(U)'s reluctance was evident when it refrained from signing a letter protesting CBI action against Manish Sisodia, a move that seemed to align with Congress, its Bihar ally.

Both the Kerala Chief Minister's Office and the DMK, ruling Tamil Nadu, declined to comment on the matter.

(with inputs from PTI)