Opposition parties are set to meet for the second time in Karnataka’s Bengaluru on July 17 and 18 to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Lok Sabha elections. The meeting will be called by the Congress.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has invited all major and minor opposition parties to attend the meeting and present a united front against the BJP.
Leaders of at least 24 non-BJP parties have been invited for the meeting.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Randeep Surjewala and State Home Minister Parameshwara took stock of the preparations ahead of the meeting.
The first meeting of the opposition was held in Patna on 23 June this year. It saw the participation of 15 parties.
agenda of the second meeting
A relatively informal dinner has been held on 17 July, followed by a more structured formal meeting the following day, Tuesday.
On July 18, the opposition will strategize in detail its plans to take on the BJP in the next Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
Announcing the dates for the opposition meeting, Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal had said, “We stand firm in our unwavering resolve to defeat fascist and undemocratic forces.”
“After a very successful all-opposition meeting in Patna, we will hold the next meeting in Bengaluru on July 17 and 18. We stand firm in our unwavering resolve to defeat fascist and undemocratic forces and present a bold vision to take the country forward. forward,” Venugopal said.
people are expected to attend
A day before the meeting, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, Aditya Thackeray and MP Sanjay Raut will attend a “very important” meeting.
Uddhav Thackeray, Aditya Thackeray and I will participate in the opposition meeting to be held in Bengaluru. It is a very important meeting,” Raut told news agency ANI.
According to reports, Congress Parliamentary Party President Sonia Gandhi, who was absent during the Patna Milan function, will attend the opposition meeting this time.
Rahul Gandhi is also likely to attend this meeting.
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had on Saturday confirmed that she and TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee would attend the meeting.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav said on Thursday that he would also attend the meeting.
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar will go to Bengaluru for the meeting. Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin has also confirmed his presence.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had made it clear that it would not join any alliance with the Congress until it showed its stand on the Delhi ordinance issue.
However, a day before the meeting, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said, “We are not going to support it (the Centre’s ordinance).”
“I think he (AAP) will attend the meeting tomorrow. As far as the ordinance (on control of services in Delhi) is concerned, our stand is very clear. “We are not going to support it,” he said.
Sources say eight new parties are ready to participate
Eight other parties, which were not part of the first opposition meeting in Patna, will attend Monday’s deliberations in Bengaluru, sources said, news agency PTI reported.
These are Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), Kongu Desa Makkal Katchi (KDMK), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), All India Forward Bloc, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Kerala Congress (JOSEPH). . ) and Kerala Congress (Mani).
First meeting of opposition in Patna
The first meeting of the opposition, which was attended by around 15 parties, was held in Patna and was hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. All the participating parties had “agreed to contest the Lok Sabha elections together”.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and NCP chief Sharad Pawar were among the top leaders from a total of 15 anti-BJP parties who attended the meeting.
Since then, the split in Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and his nephew Ajit Pawar’s move to the Eknath Shinde-BJP alliance in Maharashtra has been a major development on the issue.
However, parties like Congress and TMC have shown their support for Sharad and said that the opposition unity has become stronger.
with agency input