Drama at INDIA's Mumbai Meet As Ex-Congress Leader Kapil Sibal Enters: Sources

Mr Sibal, a former union minister, quit the Congress on May 16 last year, a day after the party's "Chintan Shivir", or brainstorming meet, to discuss revival efforts following crushing election defeats and a series of internal crises.

Congress leaders at the mega opposition meeting in Mumbai - the INDIA conclave - were miffed after ex-leader Kapil Sibal's unexpected entry, sources told NDTV Friday morning. Mr Sibal, who quit the party last year because he wanted to "not hang on coattails of any party", was not an official invitee and his presence has upset ex-colleagues, sources added. Visuals of Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal, NCP working president Supriya Sule, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut at Grand Hyatt, Mumbai ahead of the INDIA alliance meeting. pic.twitter.com/vNIZshXMlz

Senior Congress leader KC Venugopal has complained about Mr Sibal's presence to ex-Maharashtra minister Uddhav Thackeray before a photo op of opposition leaders. Mr Thackeray's Shiv Sena UBT is hosting the INDIA bloc meeting.

Other senior leaders - National Conference boss Farooq Abdullah and the Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav tried to intervene, persuading Mr Venugopal to accept Mr Sibal's presence at a meeting that aims at uniting all opposition politicians ahead of next year's election. Significantly, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said he had no objection, sources told NDTV.