Sonia calls opposition meeting on Friday, Sharad invited

New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi has called a meeting of 18 opposition parties on Friday, the last day of Parliament’s monsoon session, to discuss the future course of action of the joint opposition and chalk out a strategy against the Modi government. The meeting will be chaired by Sonia Gandhi. Janata Dal-United leader Sharad Yadav has been invited for the meeting. He is in Bihar on a three-day visit. West Bengal Chief minister Mamata Banerjee is slated to attend the meeting. The meeting is likely to discuss the opposition rally called by RJD chief Lalu Prasad in Patna on August 27, which will target the newly-formed BJP-JD-U alliance in Bihar under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The Janata Dal-United President last month snapped ties with Grand Alliance of Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress to form government in Bihar with the BJP. Sharad Yadav on Thursday declared in Patna that he was still with the Grand Alliance of the RJD and Congress. He is also organising a conclave in New Delhi on August 17, which will be attended by opposition leaders. —PTI