Embattled Sonia Gandhi to huddle with Mamata & other CMs; targets GST & NEET-JEE impact

After a stormy Congress Working Committee meeting where the party somehow managed to keep its flock together, Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi has reached out to the chief ministers of West Bengal, Maharashtra and Jharkhand in an attempt to raise a collective voice against Centre. Sources said that Sonia Gandhi will hold a meeting with them to evolve a collective stand at the August 27 GST Council meeting. Sources also said that she will discuss the issue of students and postponement of NEET-JEE examinations amid COVID pandemic. 

In a virtual meet with Mamata Banerjee, Uddhav Thackeray and Hemant Soren, besides all four Congress chief ministers - namely - Captain Amarinder Singh, Bhupesh Baghel, V Narayanasamy and Ashok Gehlot - Sonia Gandhi will discuss the old unsuccessful plan of opposition unity in order to stand against the Centre. Though Sonia Gandhi has not been successful in quelling the internal rebellion in her party, she appears to have temporarily outmanoeuvred the 23 leaders who wrote a letter to her seeking organisational reforms in the grand-old party.

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While the GST Council will meet on August 27 to discuss the issue of granting compensation to states for the loss of revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students, politicians and activists across India are demanding postponement of JEE, NEET exams. The National Testing Agency on Tuesday reiterated that they would be held as scheduled. While the JEE Main examination will be held between September 1 to 6, the NEET examination is scheduled for September 13. The NTA assured all the students of a safe environment in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

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