Oppn to meet to discuss CMP draft, pre-poll tieup

New Delhi/Guwahati: A meeting of all Opposition parties called by the Congress would discuss the draft of a Common Minimum Programme and explore possibilities of a pre-poll alliance before the coming Lok Sabha elections.

Also on the agenda for discussion during the meeting would be formation of a sub-group for drafting the Common Minimum Programme.

Though Congress sources said that the meeting was most likely to be held in Delhi on February 26, there were some rep-orts from Assam Congress  that party chief Rahul Gandhi may go ahead with his planned rally in Guwahati on that day and the Opposition meeting can be held in the capital on February 27 instead.

Meanwhile in Assam, the Congress, which has started preparation for a massive public rally of Mr Gandhi on February 26, has decided not to field any sitting legislator and close relatives of MPs in Assam. At least four Congress MLAs in Assam have applied for party tickets to contest the general elections.

The sources also said that Guwahati was dropped as a venue for the Opposition meeting as many leaders expressed reservations about traveling all the way up there and wanted to meet somewhere central. Before finalizing Delhi, Ranchi and Mohali had also been discussed as options for the meeting venue.

That a CMP would be drafted and there was a possibility of a pre-poll alliance was first announced by Mr Gandhi and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee.