Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, senior party leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin and others during opposition parties’ meet, in Bengaluru, Monday, July 17, 2023.
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in what appears to be the stiffest political fight between the ruling BJP and the opposition political MP’s and MLA’s not alligned to the BJP, almost the entire team of Opposition Leaders of India have decided to gather together under one Political Coalition Party and go for it in the oncoming Lok Sabha Polls due in 2024, sometime in May or June. At present it is a war of words.
From the very offset, its going to be a very tough fight because the ruling BJP ( Bharatiya Janata Parry ) sitting with majority votes in the National Parliament, its members under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi — the 14th. P.M. of India since 2014– are not to be brushed aside easily. Over the last 9 years of governance, they have time and again proved their mettle to the Indian public. Undoubtedly, they now face highly experienced Opposition Political leaders like, Sonia Gandhi, Mamata Bannerjee, Arvind Kejriwal, Nitish Kumar, M.K. Stalin and their entire team.
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Bengaluru Opposition Meeting Live Updates.” Want to free people of India from politics of hate”, says Kharge, on Day 1 of Oppn meet.
The Opposition dinner meeting in Bengaluru came to a close on day 1 of the conclave with the leaders of 26 opposition parties in attendance. Reiterating the Opposition’s slogan ‘United We Stand’ Congress President said, “Like-minded opposition parties shall closely work together to foster an agenda of social justice, inclusive development and national welfare.” “Well begun is half done!” he tweeted
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Top Role Likely For Sonia Gandhi In Opposition Front Against BJP. Sources.
The leaders, who gathered in Bengaluru through the day, had a dinner meeting in the evening to formalise the agenda for Tuesday’s closed-door talks. There is a chance that Sonia Gandhi — who was the chairperson of UPA — will be named the President of the Front, and Nitish Kumar the Convenor, sources said.
Besides Mrs Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, chief ministers MK Stalin, Nitish Kumar, Arvind Kejriwal, Hemant Soren, Mamata Banerjee and RJD chief Lalu Prasad are among those taking part in the two-day meet. Sharad Pawar, whose party underwent a split earlier this month with the rebellion of nephew Ajit Pawar, will join the meeting tomorrow.
Sources said all parties have been asked to suggest the name of the front, which should have the word “India” in it. The tag line will be “United we stand”. Suggestions have also been sought for the Common Minimum Programme. It was also said that the subject of states should be kept separate.
“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,” tweeted Mallikarjun Kharge.
The dinner meeting at the Taj West End Hotel this evening saw Mamata Banerjee and Sonia Gandhi seated next to each other. They had a one-on-one conversation earlier that lasted almost 20 minutes, delaying the beginning of the meet, sources said.
While the two leaders are known to share a good rapport, relations between the Congress and Ms Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress had soured lately. But both parties have moved past that, agreeing that defeating the BJP next year is priority to save democracy and federalism.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, chief ministers M K Stalin, Nitish Kumar, Arvind Kejriwal, Hemant Soren and RJD chief Lalu Prasad are among those taking part in the two-day meet.
Top leaders of 26 Opposition parties have gathered in Bengaluru to decide on the contours of the front that will take on the BJP next year. The formal talks will take place today from 11 am to 4 pm.
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Congress-AAP warm embrace as Raghav Chadha arrives in Bengaluru for Oppn meet.
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal and Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha on Monday shared a warm hug when the latter arrived at the venue of the Opposition’s second mega gathering in Bengaluru. Chadha can be seen greeted by Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, deputy CM DK Shivakumar along with Venugopal upon his arrival at the meeting’s venue in Bengaluru, where the Congress general secretary hugged the AAP MP.
The cheering gesture from the two leaders comes after a bitter war of words on the issue of the ordinance.
