Opposition leaders to gather at AAP's mega anti-BJP rally in Delhi today; Mamata Banerjee, Chandrababu Naidu likely to attend

New Delhi: In yet another broadside against the BJP in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls, Opposition leaders are all set to meet at a mega rally at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Wednesday and seek to corner the Modi government on various issues. The rally is being organised by the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is critical of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and its chief, Amit Shah. [caption id=“attachment_5601211” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. AFP[/caption] AAP Delhi convenor Gopal Rai said West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, National Conference (NC) leader Farooq Abdullah and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar will attend the rally. Leaders from the Samajwadi Party (SP), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and other parties will address the mega rally, he said. Asked whether Congress president Rahul Gandhi will also attend the rally, Rai said an invite was sent to him, adding that AAP had invited all Opposition leaders who had gathered at the mega anti-BJP rally convened by Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata in Kolkata last month. Sources said that with months to go for the general elections, the rally will serve to bring the Opposition together in firming up a “Mahagathbandhan” (grand alliance) to challenge the BJP and its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners. There were talks of an alliance between AAP and the Congress for the Lok Sabha polls in the National Capital, but the local leadership of the latter is believed to be against it. AAP and the Congress have been bitter rivals in Delhi and Punjab.