2024 Lok Sabha election: Sonia Gandhi poised to lead Opposition front against BJP, Bengaluru meeting key
New Delhi, July 18: Leaders from 26 opposition parties have convened in Bengaluru to strategise and form an alliance to challenge the BJP in the upcoming elections. The formal discussions will commence today, following a dinner meeting held yesterday to outline the agenda.
Sources indicate that Sonia Gandhi, the former chairperson of UPA, is likely to be named President of the opposition front, while Nitish Kumar is expected to be appointed as the Convenor.
The gathering includes prominent figures such as Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, chief ministers MK Stalin, Nitish Kumar, Arvind Kejriwal, Hemant Soren, Mamata Banerjee, and RJD chief Lalu Prasad. Sharad Pawar, whose party recently experienced a split with his nephew's rebellion, is set to join the meeting tomorrow.
#WATCH | Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and party leader Rahul Gandhi arrive for the second day of the joint Opposition meeting in Bengaluru, Karnataka. pic.twitter.com/GJ1WVp5s2e — ANI (@ANI) July 18, 2023
Participating parties have been requested to propose a name for the alliance, which should incorporate the word "India." The tagline for the coalition will be "United we stand." Suggestions have also been sought for a Common Minimum Programme, with the understanding that the discussion of state-specific issues will be treated separately.
Mallikarjun Kharge tweeted, "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... United We Stand, for this INDIA."
During the dinner meeting, Mamata Banerjee and Sonia Gandhi were seated next to each other and engaged in a one-on-one conversation that lasted nearly 20 minutes. Although relations between the Congress and Trinamool Congress had experienced strain, both parties have reaffirmed their commitment to defeating the BJP in order to safeguard democracy and federalism.
The Congress is hosting the gathering at a strategically chosen location, leveraging their recent victory in the Karnataka assembly election to galvanize the opposition and strengthen their position. Under the leadership of Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress has maintained a low profile, emphasizing their receptiveness to the ideas of other leaders and their willingness to collaborate with parties like Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party.
Responding to queries about the attendance of the Janata Dal Secular, the former ally of Congress, senior Congress leader Pawan Khera stated, "All parties having the will and guts to fight the BJP are welcome... From 16 in Patna to 26 in Bengaluru, this opposition will grow... We will have many more meetings. Issues would be discussed now, and we will look at leaders later."
Coinciding with the opposition gathering, the BJP has organized a show of strength in Delhi, where all constituents of the NDA will also convene tomorrow. Pawan Khera suggested that the BJP's meeting reflects their nervousness about the growing opposition unity.
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- With inputs from agencies
