India / We do not go even invited says Asaduddin Owaisi on not being invited to Mamata Banerjee meeting

New Delhi : AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday said he was not invited to a meeting called by Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with opposition leaders to discuss the presidential election. Talking to news agency ANI over phone, Owaisi said, "I was not invited. Even if I would have been invited, I would not have participated. The reason is Congress. TMC party which is about us." I speak badly, even though they have invited us, we don't go just because they invited Congress."

Let us tell you that Mamata Banerjee will hold a meeting with several opposition leaders on Wednesday to discuss the presidential election and put up a united fight against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance.

On Saturday, TMC supremo K Chandrashekhar Rao (TRS), Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann (AAP), Naveen Patnaik (BJD), Pinarayi Vijayan (CPM), Hemant Soren (JMM), MK Stalin (DMK) and Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena) Invited leaders of 19 political parties, including eight non-Congress opposition chief ministers, like the MVA led by M.V. The TMC asked him to attend a meeting called by him to discuss the strategy for the upcoming presidential election in the national capital.

The West Bengal Chief Minister flew to Delhi and met Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar on Tuesday ahead of the meeting. Presidential elections will be held on July 18 and results will be declared on July 21.

Shock to opposition unity before the meeting

According to sources, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) is unlikely to send a representative to Mamata's meeting amid steps to build consensus for the opposition-backed candidate.

Apart from this, sources also informed that Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party is not attending the meeting. Sources said AAP will consider the issue only after the candidate for the upcoming presidential election is announced. Naveen Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal, which has been invited, is unlikely to attend the meeting.

These leaders will be involved

Leaders who are likely to attend the meeting include former minister HD Deve Gowda and his son and Janata Dal(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy, Rashtriya Lok Dal's Jayantha Chowdhury and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti. MK Stalin's Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) will be represented by TR Balu while Shiv Sena's Subhash Desai will attend the meeting. Samajwadi Party and National Conference will also participate in the meeting.

Congress will also participate

Sources said that the Congress will also participate in the meeting to be held at the Constitution Club. Congress leaders including Mallikarjun Kharge, Jairam Ramesh and Randeep Singh Surjewala are likely to attend the meeting.

Mamata Banerjee has also sent an invitation to Shiromani Akali Dal, a former ally of the BJP, but she is unlikely to attend the meeting.

Communist Party of India general secretary D Raja said on Tuesday that Left parties are likely to attend the meeting. The CPI(M) and other Left parties are rivals of the ruling TMC in Bengal.