Opposition meeting: As many as 26 Opposition parties are likely to participate in the two-day brainstorming session in Karnataka’s Bengaluru starting Monday (July 17) where they will devise strategy to take on the ruling BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, sources said.
In a key development on the eve of the meeting, Congress clarified its stance over the Delhi ordinance which brought the Aam Aadmi Party to the decision of participating in the meeting. The AAP had attended the Patna Opposition meet as well on June 23, however, it had boycotted the joint press conference soon after when Congress did not clear its stand in the previous gathering.
As many as 15 parties had attended the Patna meeting hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at his residence. “This time we are expecting leaders of 26 parties,” a source said.
“In the Bengaluru meet, 24 parties were likely to take part, however, according to sources, two more parties have decided to join which include Krishna Patel-led Apna Dal (K) and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK), taking the total count to 26,” sources said.
The Opposition meeting also comes in the backdrop of the split in NCP which was necessitated by Ajit Pawar joining the Maharashtra government. The Bengaluru meet also comes after a spate of violence ahead and during the West Bengal panchayat polls which put the law and order of the state under the scanner. A number of lives were lost in the violence which was condemned by the BJP and the Left parties.
“The opposition parties will chart out a joint agitational plan across the country against the policies of the BJP, especially after the NCP split in Maharashtra,” sources said.
They said that the leaders will come p with steps to further opposition unity to fight the BJP.
"It will be a decisive meeting. Several issues will be discussed," Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said.
Leaders likely to participate
Congress Parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi is also likely to attend the meeting this time, according to the party.
Others who are expected to be participants include Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Bihar Chief Minister and JDU leader Nitish Kumar, DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, JMM leader and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and AAP's Arvind Kejriwal and former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.
“The other parties which are likely to join are RLD, CPI(M), CPI, AIFB, CPI-ML, RSP, VCK, National Conference, JKPDP, IUML, Kerala Congress (J), Kerala Congress (Mani), MDMK, KMDK, Apna Dal (K) and MMK,” sources said.
The two-day session will kickstart with a dinner meeting to be hosted by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, followed by a formal meeting on Tuesday. Following the rounds of meetings, the parties are expected to announce their further programme.
CPI general secretary D Raja said the two-day session will be a step further in the demonstration of the Opposition's joint resolve to defeat the BJP.
"The Bengaluru meeting will be another step forward in uniting the secular and democratic parties in order to defeat the BJP and in order to save the nation and democracy," Raja said.
(With PTI inputs)
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