No BJP presence at Pranab Mukherjee's book launch

Former President's book will be launched in the presence of Opposition leaders including ex-PM Manmohan Singh, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, others

The third and final volume of the autobiography of former president Pranab Mukherjee will be released on Friday. Many Opposition leaders will be on the dais at the launch of the book, The Coalition Years: 1996 to 2012. No leader from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party would be present. It isn’t known if any of them were invited and turned down the invite. According to the invite, the book will be released in the “presence of (former prime minister) Manmohan Singh, (Communist Party of India-Marxist chief) Sitaram Yechury, (Congress Vice-President) Rahul Gandhi, (Communist Party of India leader) S Sudhakar Reddy, (Samajwadi Party chief) Akhilesh Yadav, (Bahujan Samaj Party leader) Satish Chandra Mishra and (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader) M K Kanimozhi”. The book focuses on the Congress’ defeat in the 1996 Lok Sabha polls and the rise of regional parties. It also throws light on the confabulations that led the Congress to withdraw outside support to the United Front government.