Opposition meeting: A two-day brainstorming session of the Opposition parties to display a show of strength against the Modi government was held in Bengaluru on Monday. A total of 26 top politicians from the opposition are attending the call for unity and are expected to chalk out their joint programme aimed at defeating the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
- Soon after the dinner meeting of opposition leaders in Bengaluru, Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge said, "...well begun is half done! Like-minded opposition parties shall closely work together to foster an agenda of social justice, inclusive development and national welfare."
- "We want to free the people of India from the autocratic and anti-people politics of hate, division, economic inequality and loot. We want an India which is governed by constitutional principles of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity," he said.
- "We want an India which provides hope and faith to the weakest person. United We Stand, for this INDIA," Kharge added.
- The meeting started with a good signal and it would be the end of BJP in 2024, said Congress leader BK Hariprasad. On being asked about the NDA meeting scheduled to be held tomorrow in Delhi, he says, "That would be National Disaster Alliance".
- Earlier, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge arrived in the Karnataka capital on a special plane and were received at the airport by state Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, along with RJD chief Lalu Prasad and Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav also arrived later in the afternoon.
- A warm welcome was also accorded to other leaders like former chief ministers Akhilesh Yadav (SP), Farooq Abdullah (NC) and Mehbooba Mufti (PDP), besides Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), D Raja (CPI) and Jayant Chaudhary (RLD) as they reached for the Opposition meeting.
- The Congress asserted that Opposition unity would be "a game changer" for the Indian political scenario and took a swipe at the BJP, saying those who used to talk of defeating the opposition parties alone are now making attempts to breathe new life into the NDA which had become a "ghost".
- The Opposition meeting coincides with the NDA meeting convened on July 18 in Delhi, where some new allies are likely to join the ruling BJP-led coalition. Talks of unity notwithstanding, differences among opposition parties, especially those who have been traditional rivals remain, and reconciling political interests will be a challenging task.
- Arriving for the Opposition meet, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury ruled out any alliance with the TMC in West Bengal and said that secular parties along with the Left and the Congress will take on the BJP as well as the TMC in the state. Yechury, however, added that the endeavour is to reduce the split in opposition votes and they will chalk out a plan to fight together.
- The BJP, which has been targeting these parties over their differences, on Monday called it a "meeting of opportunists and power-hungry" leaders and said such an alliance will not do any good for the country at present or in the future. "Opposition is just forming a corruption committee all over India. They will not do anything else. PM Modi works for the development of India. He will return as the Prime Minister in 2024," said Saumitra Khan, Vice President of BJP's Bengal unit.
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