Opposition parties working on common agenda

Even as no formal alliance has been arrived at by Opposition parties taking on the BJP, a range of tentative steps at convergence are underway- including efforts to draw up a possible blueprint for a Common Minimum Programme.

Leaders and representatives from across political parties are expected to meet on Tuesday for a multi- party round table to discuss a‘People’s Progressive Agenda for India’ which could ‘build on the Common Minimum Programme of 2004’, those associated with the move told ET.

Representatives of 10-14 political parties and ‘progressive minded persons’- from Congress, CPI(M), AAP, RJD, RLD, DMK, NCP, and possibly also SP, BSP, TMC TDP and BJD will meet to deliberate over this blueprint for an ‘alliance of equity’.


ET gathers that those lending it support are likely to include senior Congress leaders, Sharad Yadav, Sitaram Yechury, RLD’s Jayant Chaudhary, RJD’s Manoj Jha among others. The ‘People’s Progressive Agenda for India’ has been prepared over the last nine months under the aegis of ‘Samruddha Bharat’ – a Bangalore based organisation that describes itself as an ‘independent platform’ backed by those committed to restoration of ‘constitutional’ and ‘progressive values’.