Next Opposition meet in Mumbai, war room to be set up in Delhi, announces Congress chief Kharge | HIGHLIGHTS

Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi claimed that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar returned early from the opposition meeting in Bengaluru as he was "upset" over not having been made convener of the new coalition - Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). Kumar’s JD(U) hit back, dubbing the former Deputy CM as “someone who makes ridiculous statements and is not taken seriously even within his party”.

"A collision formed with negative approaches cannot work. Congress used its alliances for establishing governments," PM Modi targeted Congress-led INDIA.

"Our  civilisational conflict is pivoted around India and Bharat.The British named our country as India. We must strive to free ourselves from  colonial legacies. Our forefathers fought for Bharat, and we will continue to work for Bharat . BJP for BHARAT," tweeted Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

We have decided to put aside the differences in the states, said Kharge while answering a question from a reporter.

India is being attacked by the ideology of the BJP, said Congress Rahul Gandhi.

"People are rising against the dictatorship. They say we are fighting for a family. Yes, the country is our family and we have to save this family. There was a fight for freedom once, now it is a fight to save freedom and we are ready for it," said Shiv Sena (UTB) chief Uddhav Thackeray

"It's a good thing that the family is growing. There was no progress in even a single sector in 9 years, everything was ruined. Today every section of the society is sad and we are not united for ourselves, we have to save the country," said Kejriwal.

We gathered here not for ourselves but the nation, BJP ruined everything now we want to build the future, said Kejriwal

PM Modi got opportunity to serve the nation but he ruined all the sectors, said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

INDIA will win, NDA will lose, said Mamata

We will have to save India as BJP is trying to sell the county, said Mamata.

I will not say Uddhav Thackeray as ex-CM as he will be soon the CM of Maharashtra, said Banerjee.

It was a constructive meeting said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

We will fight unitedly and will come out success, asserted Kharge

This is the first achievement of our alliance to agree on the name (INDIA), said Kharge.

"Today's situation is such that BJP wants to destroy democracy and the constitution. The probe agencies are being used against the opposition. We are utting aside differences and have come together in the interest of the country," Kharge said.

Though, we have differences politically but we are united to save the country, said Kharge. PM Modi trying to join all 'tukde' (factions) now: Congress chief Kharge on NDA meeting of 38 parties, he added.

The name of the convenor will be decided in the Mumbai meeting and a secretariat will be set up in Delhi from where the election campaign strategy will be chalked out, said Kharge

A committee of 11 members will hold another meeting in Mumbai to decide further roadmap, said Kharge.

26 parties passed a resolution and our alliance will be called 'INDIA', earlier it was UPA, said Kharge

According to sources, INDIA is likely to be the new name of the United Opposition front. 

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal exuded confidence that the BJP-led NDA govt will be formed in 2024 as well. "No matter how hard the opposition tries, in 2024, BJP-led NDA govt will be formed. PM Modi will be sworn in as the Prime Minister of the country again," he added. 

Amid the ongoing meeting, RJP supremo Lalu Yadav said that there is a need to save the democracy in the country. "This meeting is important for the country. We have to save the country and our democracy," he added. 

Attending the meeting, NCP leader Sharad Pawar said that the Opposition has decided to fight and win. "We Will Fight and We Will Win," he added as the meeting is still underway in Bengaluru.

At the joint Opposition meeting in Bengaluru, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said, "I had already said in Chennai, on MK Stalin’s birthday, that Congress is not interested in power or the post of Prime Minister. Our intention in this meeting is not to gain power for ourselves. It is to protect our Constitution, Democracy, Secularism and Social Justice."

The second day of the brainstorming session has started in Bengaluru. Several top leaders of Opposition parties are attending the meeting. In this meeting, a convenor may be appointed and groups formed to decide on various issues apart from deciding on a common minimum programme. Sources said Congress is keen that the chairperson should be from the party as it is the largest party in the grouping. However, the party may not be not adamant on the matter and would be willing to go by the combined decision of opposition parties, ANI reported citing sources.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav and party MP Manoj Jha arrived for the second day of a joint Opposition meeting in Bengaluru. "We have to give farewell to Narendra Modi," Lalu said. 

Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and party leader Rahul Gandhi arrived for the second day of the joint Opposition meeting in Bengaluru.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, AAP MPs Raghav Chadha and Sanjay Singh arrive for the second day of joint Opposition meeting in Bengaluru. 

The meeting of Opposition parties will start after leaders are done with paying homage to former Kerala Chief Minister Oomen Chandy who died today morning. He was 79 years old. The meeting is expected to start around 12 pm. 

United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is likely to be renamed in today's meeting of the joint Opposition. According to reports, four new names for UPA have been sent to Sonia Gandhi, and there is a possibility that the final name will be announced today.

Ahead of today's meeting, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar launched a scathing attack on the saffron party. "BJP thinks they are a big threat...Congress party is ready to fight all these forces...," he added. 

NCP leader Sharad Pawar arrived in Bengaluru for the joint Opposition meeting. He was received by Karnataka minister MB Patil. Notably. Pawar had skipped the first day of the meeting on July 17. 

Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge arrived at Taj West End in Bengaluru, on the second day of the joint Opposition meeting. The meeting will start shortly. 

The Congress and other parties asserted that their meeting is setting the narrative and would be a "game changer" for the Indian political scenario. Taking s swipe at the BJP, they said those who used to talk of defeating the opposition parties alone are now making attempts to breathe new life into the NDA.

Parties likely to attend Opposition's meeting today: 

• Indian National Congress (INC)
• Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)
• Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)
• Samajwadi Party (SP)
• Trinamool Congress (AITC)
• Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)
• Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)
• Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD)
• Communist Party of India (Marxist)
• Janata Dal United (JDU)
• Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)
• Shiv Sena (UBT) 
• Communist Party of India (CPI)
• All India Forward Bloc (AIFB)
• Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation (CPI-ML)
• Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP)
• Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK)
• Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC)
• Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (JKPDP)
• Indian Union Muslim League (IUML)
• Kerala Congress (Joseph) 
• Kerala Congress (Mani) 
• Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK)
• Kongunadu Makkal Desia Katchi (KMDK)
• Apna Dal (K) 
• Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK)

These are likely to be the agendas of the meeting.:

• Drafting of 'Common Minimum Program' for 2024 Lok Sabha Elections and formation of a committee for the alliance
• Addressing the differences between parties in view of the conferences, rallies of different parties
• Discussion on the matter of seat sharing on the basis of states
• The matter of EVM is to be discussed to provide suggestions to the Election Commission
• Discussion on giving a new name to the united front 
• Discussion on setting up an office for the united alliance