The two-day meeting is being attended by Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, M K Stalin, Nitish Kumar, Arvind Kejriwal, Hemant Soren, and Lalu Prasad, the leader of the RJD. Sonia Gandhi is a potential leader on the opposition front.
The first day of the two-day joint conference of opposition leaders in Bengaluru came to an end on Monday with a repeat of the opposition’s rallying cry, “United We Stand.”
As part of their efforts to portray a united front against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) administration in the Center, representatives of at least 26 Opposition parties addressed important 2024 issues in the Taj West End Hotel in the evening.
The second day of the joint Opposition meeting in Bengaluru is set to begin on Tuesday.
The leaders met over dinner to finalize the schedule for Tuesday’s private meetings after spending the day in Bengaluru.
Sonia Gandhi, who served as the UPA’s chair, may be chosen as the Front’s president, with Nitish Kumar serving as convenor, according to sources.
Along with Mrs. Gandhi, other participants in the two-day meeting include Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Chief Ministers MK Stalin, Nitish Kumar, Arvind Kejriwal, Hemant Soren, Mamata Banerjee, and RJD leader Lalu Prasad.
subsequently, Sharad Pawar, whose party split earlier this month due to the uprising of his nephew Ajit Pawar, will attend the gathering, as they are running a little late.
Mamata Banerjee and Sonia Gandhi shared a table at the dinner meeting this evening at the Taj West End Hotel.
The start of the encounter was delayed by a one-on-one talk they had earlier that lasted about 20 minutes, according to insiders.
Despite the fact that the two leaders are known to get along well, recently, ties between the Congress and Ms. Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress have deteriorated.
However, both parties have moved past it and now believe that the best way to preserve democracy and federalism is to defeat the BJP the following year.
The Congress has selected a strategic location for the meeting. In addition to inspiring the opposition, the Congress victory in the most recent Karnataka assembly election gave the party a strong lead.
However, the Congress has maintained a low profile while under Mallikarjun Kharge’s leadership, repeating that it wishes to hear the opinions of other leaders.
It has demonstrated its desire to work well with others by supporting Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party in opposition to the Central Ordinance in parliament.
In response to the question of whether Janata Dal-Secular, the former ally of the Congress party, will participate in the opposition meeting, senior Congress leader Pawan Khera stated, “All parties that have the determination and courage to challenge the BJP are welcome.”
He further mentioned, “Starting from 16 parties in Patna to 26 in Bengaluru, this opposition alliance will continue to grow.
We have planned numerous future meetings where we will discuss various issues and consider potential leaders.”
Coinciding with the opposition gathering, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is organizing a demonstration of its strength in Delhi, where all constituents of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will also convene tomorrow.
Mr. Khera remarked that the BJP is feeling anxious, which explains their decision to hold the meeting.
At a major opposition gathering in Bengaluru, BJP leader Dilip Ghosh remarked, “It is good that the corrupt are on one side and the ones with development are on the other side.”
The Congress party has maintained a cooperative stance, welcoming all parties determined to challenge the BJP.
Meanwhile, the BJP is organizing a demonstration of its strength in Delhi, reflecting the perceived unease within the party.
The opposition front aims to grow and hold future meetings to discuss issues and consider potential leaders.
