Deve Gowda, Kejriwal, Pawar, Akhilesh at Mamata's Jan 19 rally

Former Prime Minister H D Devegowda, Delhi chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Karnataka counterpart H D Kumaraswamy, political heavyweights like Sharad Pawar and Akhilesh Yadav would address the January 19 opposition rally here, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee said on Tuesday.

She told reporters that leaders of non-BJP parties from "Kashmir to Kanyakumari" would be present at the rally, which political observers are describing as an effort on the her part to emerge as the face of the opposition ahead of the coming Lok Sabha polls.

"On January 19, you will see a huge representation from all regions of the country. Heavy-weight national leaders, including a former prime minister and several ex-chief ministers, will attend the rally," Banerjee said.

"Political leaders from Kashmir to Kanyakumari -- former prime minister H D Devegowda, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy (both of Janata Dal-Secular), Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal (Aam Admi Party), former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav (Samajwadi Party chief), Sharad Pawar (Nationalist Congress Party chief and also former Maharashtra chief minister), Farooq Abdullah (National Conference chief and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister) would be among the many leaders present in the rally," Banerjee added.

With Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and her mother Sonia Gandhi deciding to skip the rally, the party would be represented by leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge.

Banerjee said she had invited Left parties including CPI-M leader and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan but was yet to receive any confirmation from them.

Virtually conceding that Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati would not be coming, she said "perhaps she will nominate some one else to represent her party".

--IANS

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