Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav gives Sonia Gandhi's iftar a miss

NEW DELHI: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and NCP chief Sharad Pawar led the political gala at the iftar party hosted by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Monday but the absence of Mulayam Singh Yadav attracted attention.

Representatives of TMC, BSP, DMK, RJD and former J&K CM Omar Abdullah made it a bonding of "secular" political class as Sonia, former PM Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi held centre-stage at the Ashoka Hotel.

Samajwadi Party was conspicuous by its absence, with not even a nominee at the venue. Party spokesman Rajesh Dixit said Mulayam had to rush back to Lucknow on Sunday but had written to Sonia thanking for the invite. While his representatives were present, RJD chief Lalu Prasad's absence was noticed and commented upon, being linked to his wariness with Congress in Bihar polls.

The Left, too, was absent from the event though it was source of much confusion. While Congress leaders claimed to have seen Mohammad Salim among the guests, the CPM MP himself said he couldn't make it.

It is an annual gathering hosted by the Congress chief, second since the party was relegated to opposition in 2014. But the show of strength assumed significance in view of the aggression adopted by the anti-BJP grouping in recent weeks over the contentious land bill and on Lalitgate and Vyapam scam.

With Parliament session starting on July 21, the presence of like-minded parties was seen as important in view of the aggression being mounted by anti-BJP forces.

Derek O'Brien of TMC, Satish Chandra Mishra of BSP, Kanimozhi of DMK and Lalu confidants Prem Gupta and JP Yadav made it look ike an alliance. Pawar confidant and former minister Praful Patel too was present.

A big change from the past was that Sonia and Rahul wearied themselves, posing for photographs and selfies on the incessant demands of the invitees.