Opposition parties mulls coordination for Budget Session, to meet in early February

New Delhi : Leaders of various opposition parties met here on Monday to informally discuss coordination between them during the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament.

They will hold another meeting early next month, likely to be presided over by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. Informed sources said no date had been decided for the next meeting but it could be held on February 1.

"It was an informal meeting (on Monday) to discuss coordination during the Budget Session. There will be another meeting," Nationalist Congress Party leader Praful Patel said later.

The Budget Session commenced on Monday.

Those who attended the Monday meeting at NCP leader Sharad Pawar's residence included Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma, National Conference's Farooq Abdullah, rebel Janata Dal-United leader Sharad Yadav, CPI's D. Raja, NCP's Tariq Anwar and Supriya Sule, besides Patel and Pawar.

The sources said the next meeting would be similar to larger opposition meetings held ahead of the presidential and vice-presidential elections last year and presided over by Sonia Gandhi. Following these polls, 18 opposition parties had decided to work towards coordination inside and outside Parliament against the Narendra Modi government.