Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and president of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP), Ghulam Nabi Azad, has raised questions on the utility of the idea of a united Opposition being pitched in the run-up to the highly anticipated Lok Sabha elections.

Dismissing the idea of a united Opposition as “nothing more than a photo-op”, Azad said the idea lacked practicality as Congress had nothing to offer to regional parties that have a strong foothold in states, and vice versa.

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“Opposition unity will only benefit when there is something for both parties. The share of benefits for both may differ. It may be 50-50 or 60-40, but in this case, both parties have nothing to offer,” Azad said addressing a press conference on Wednesday.

Azad cited the example of West Bengal to question the potential benefits for the Trinamool Congress (TMC) if it were to ally with the Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPM].

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“Congress and CPM do not have any MLAs in the state. If these two parties forge an alliance with TMC, then what will be the benefit to TMC? Why would Mamata Banerjee forge an alliance with these parties? How would they benefit from this?” he asked.

Similarly, Azad pointed out that the TMC does not have any MLAs in states such as Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh, and wondered what the Congress would offer to the Trinamool in these regions.

Similarly, the former CM emphasised, the Congress does not possess a single MLA in Andhra Pradesh, while the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), led by Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, lacks MLAs in other states.

Azad’s remarks come just days ahead of a meeting of Opposition leaders called by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna. The meeting, scheduled to be attended by the top party leaders from the Opposition, is the first major event amid efforts to stitch together a united alliance ahead of the 2024 polls.

Azad said he has received no invitation for the June 24 event.