Several leaders of the ruling National Democratic Alliance will meet on Monday evening to discuss the political situation in different states and decide on the future strategy of the coalition. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah and a number of Union ministers will attend the meeting in Delhi.
The coalition leaders are likely to discuss the upcoming presidential (July) and vice-presidential (August) elections during the meeting. Representatives of the BJP allies, including People’s Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti and Telugu Desam Party President N Chandrababu Naidu, will also be there, reported NDTV.
The BJP has 32 allies across the country. This is the second time that the NDA will be meeting since it came to power at the Centre in May 2014.
“The leaders from parties from different parts would not only signify our gaining strength and influence but also express BJP’s willingness to work with allies,” an unidentified BJP leader told The Economic Times.
The Shiv Sena had earlier said that it would boycott the meet unless the government resolved the dispute over the flying ban imposed on its legislator for assaulting an Air India employee. The Federation of India Airlines lifted the ban on Ravindra Gaikwad on April 8. The decision came a day after Air India revoked the restrictions on Gaikwad. Party chief Uddhav Thackeray is expected to attend Monday’s meet.
The BJP recently won the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand Assembly elections and also managed to form governments with allies in Goa and Manipur. The mandate came just a few months after the government had demonetised high-value currency notes pushing the country into a major cash crunch in November 2016.
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