Opposition Alliance Concerned Over 'Bad Optics' As Sharad Pawar Set To Share Stage With PM Modi On 1 August

During a meeting of INDIA constituents in Parliament on Friday, concerns were raised about NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar's upcoming event in Pune on 1 August.

It was noted that he would be sharing the stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which could have negative implications for the coalition.

The coalition is currently engaged in a direct confrontation with the government, demanding a statement from PM Modi regarding the Manipur violence.

Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to receive the Lokmanya Tilak National Award in Pune, an event organised by the Lokmanya Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust. Sharad Pawar will be the chief guest at this ceremony.

The issue of Sharad Pawar's participation in the event was initially raised by a leader from a regional party, Indian Express reported citing sources.

This reportedly caused significant unease among the members, who expressed their disappointment.

Several attendees suggested that Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge or another leader should speak to Pawar and discourage his participation.

Notably, the only representative from the NCP at the meeting, Rajya Sabha member Vandana Chavan, did not comment on the matter.

“We can awaken those who are sleeping but can we awaken those who are pretending to sleep?” a top leader reportedly commented at the meeting.

The Aam Aadmi Party leaders highlighted that the Delhi services Bill, scheduled for Monday in the Lok Sabha, could be moved to the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

They emphasised the need for 100 per cent attendance from the Opposition to defeat the Bill.

According to the AAP leaders, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal would request Pawar to skip the award function and stay in Delhi for the vote on the legislation.

The Opposition has agreed to suspend their protest in order to debate the Delhi services Bill.

In the Rajya Sabha, three Opposition MPs who are unwell, including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, JMM leader Shibu Soren, and JD(U) leader Bashistha Narain Singh, will be present.

However, the Opposition is still missing three members - suspended MPs Congress's Rajni Patil and AAP's Sanjay Singh, and NCP MP Praful Patel, who recently switched sides.

While the Opposition awaits the expected response from PM Modi to the no-confidence motion moved by the Congress in the Lok Sabha, the Trinamool Congress is planning to introduce a resolution on the same subject in the West Bengal Assembly. This will make it the first Opposition-ruled state to take such action.

The suggestion was made for other Opposition parties to follow suit, but the Assembly sessions in three Congress-ruled states - Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh - have recently ended.

For both Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, it was their last Assembly session before the states go for polls.