News Analysis India

Tag: 2024 Lok Sabha Elections

  • From bumpy road to ‘old wine in new bottle’, NDA vs ‘INDIA’ is set for a soap-opera showdown

    By Online Desk

    NEW DELHI: With battlelines drawn for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the newly formed opposition alliance ‘INDIA’ on Wednesday braced for a bumpy ride ahead from ironing out differences in states to seat sharing and choosing its leader even as the ruling BJP called the coalition “old wine in a new bottle.” 

    As a political slugfest erupted a day after 26 opposition parties formed a front — Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) — to unitedly take on the ruling BJP-led NDA at the Centre, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the Congress rejected speculation that the JD(U) leader was dissatisfied for not being made the convenor of the new grouping.

    Kumar, who hosted the first mega meeting of opposition parties in Patna last month, also reiterated he does not have any ambition for himself, adding leaders at the opposition conclave held in Bengaluru on Tuesday were happy at the outcome of the deliberations.

    While Congress leader Jairam Ramesh told PTI there is a “new enthusiasm” among the constituents of INDIA, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee claimed that the BJP was “shivering with fear” after the formation of the opposition grouping.

    The assertions by Ramesh and Banerjee came even as senior BJP leader and former Himachal Pradesh chief minister PK Dhumal said the opposition front would fall “like a pack of cards” before the Lok Sabha elections.

    BSP chief Mayawati, meanwhile, announced that her party will go it alone in the next Lok Sabha elections as well as in Assembly polls in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana, dubbing the NDA, INDIA coalitions “anti-Dalit” alliances.

    A resolution adopted at a meeting of the 39 constituents of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Delhi on Tuesday said the opposition is faced with a crisis of identity and relevance. “Today, the opposition is confused and disoriented,” the resolution said.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi had addressed the meeting. The BJP also intensified the online political fight as the party posted three short videos on social media portraying its rivals as ten-headed Ravana.

    ALSO READ | Opposition bloc ‘INDIA’ gets its tagline; BJP calls it as ‘ten-headed’ Ravana

    In one video, the BJP sought to convey that the people of the country are confused with the opposition alliance as it does not have any policy, vision and a leader to head the coalition.

    The BJP also took a swipe at the opposition parties over a Samajwadi Party (SP) legislator’s remark in the Maharashtra Assembly on chanting ‘Vande Mataram’, asking if this was their idea of ‘INDIA’.

    The BJP’s reaction came after SP MLA Abu Azmi, while raising the Sambhajinagar district riots issue in the Assembly, said chanting ‘Vande Mataram’ was unacceptable to him.

    “Is this idea of I.N.D.I.A? Or is this anti-India? SP is a part of this alleged I.N.D.I.A,” BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said in a tweet, taking a swipe at the newly formed coalition.

    Asked about the name INDIA chosen by opposition parties for their alliance, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said, “Someone does not change by changing the name. They are the same people. It is a old wine in a new bottle.”

    The new alliance, meanwhile, finalised “Jeetega Bharat” as its tagline, setting the tone for its Lok Sabha election campaign. The Hindi tagline means “India will win” and is likely to be replicated in several regional languages, sources said.

    ALSO READ | Inside Opposition’s meet: A look at how ‘INDIA’ was chosen alliance name

    Talking to reporters after inaugurating a month-long ‘Malmas Mela’ in Rajgir in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar claimed that the BJP will be wiped out in the Lok Sabha polls.

    “The (Bengaluru) meeting was very fruitful and we all are very happy with the outcome. I could not attend the press conference after the conclave as I had to come back to Patna. My effort is to unite all opposition parties ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and now things are taking shape,” the JD(U) leader said.

    BJP leader Sushil Modi on Tuesday had claimed that Nitish Kumar returned to Patna without attending the press meet as he was “upset” over not being made the convenor of the alliance. The CM asked, “Who takes Sushil Modi seriously?”

    “We are working to unify all non-BJP parties ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The Patna opposition meeting was attended by 16 parties and there were 26 parties in Bengaluru. Our numbers are increasing and the unity of the opposition parties is getting strengthened,” he added.

    JD(U) president Rajiv Ranjan Singh ‘Lalan’ described as “dushprachar” (canard) reports of Nitish Kumar being unhappy with the acronym INDIA and going into a sulk over not being made convener of the new coalition. The name INDIA bore the stamp of approval from all leaders present at the opposition conclave, said Lalan, who accompanied the CM on the trip to Bengaluru. He also asserted that selecting the convenor was not on the agenda of Tuesday’s meeting.

    “It may be thought about when the next meeting takes place in Mumbai….Nitish Kumar is the sutradhar (driving force) of opposition unity. And a sutradhar never gets angry,” Lalan said in Patna. He also claimed that the NDA meeting on Tuesday was indicative of its “desperation”.

    READ MORE:

    Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala asserted that no matter how hard the BJP tries to create a rift in the opposition alliance INDIA, it will not succeed. “We are all united. No matter how hard the BJP and Modi ji try to create a rift in Team India, they will not succeed,” he told reporters in Delhi.

    “The restlessness of the BJP is understandable. I wish them luck in continuing with their conspiratorial agenda.”

    Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said parties that love the country and motherland have come together, and asserted there is now a strong front against “dictatorship.”

    SP president Akhilesh Yadav took a dig at the NDA and said the ruling coalition’s meeting in Delhi was its “farewell ceremony.”

    “The BJP has become afraid of ‘INDIA’. This name (of the opposition bloc) is good. ‘INDIA’ is a message of development and inclusiveness,” Yadav said in a statement in Lucknow.

    Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut also took a swipe at the BJP, saying the ruling party remembered the NDA only after 26 opposition parties came together to form the grouping ‘INDIA’.

    AIADMK general secretary and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami claimed the NDA would win 330 seats in the Lok Sabha elections.

    BJP leader and former Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan said the new opposition grouping does not have a consensus candidate to take on Prime Minister Modi and they will soon start fighting among themselves.

    (With Additional Inputs from PTI)

    NEW DELHI: With battlelines drawn for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the newly formed opposition alliance ‘INDIA’ on Wednesday braced for a bumpy ride ahead from ironing out differences in states to seat sharing and choosing its leader even as the ruling BJP called the coalition “old wine in a new bottle.” 

    As a political slugfest erupted a day after 26 opposition parties formed a front — Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) — to unitedly take on the ruling BJP-led NDA at the Centre, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the Congress rejected speculation that the JD(U) leader was dissatisfied for not being made the convenor of the new grouping.

    Kumar, who hosted the first mega meeting of opposition parties in Patna last month, also reiterated he does not have any ambition for himself, adding leaders at the opposition conclave held in Bengaluru on Tuesday were happy at the outcome of the deliberations.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    While Congress leader Jairam Ramesh told PTI there is a “new enthusiasm” among the constituents of INDIA, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee claimed that the BJP was “shivering with fear” after the formation of the opposition grouping.

    The assertions by Ramesh and Banerjee came even as senior BJP leader and former Himachal Pradesh chief minister PK Dhumal said the opposition front would fall “like a pack of cards” before the Lok Sabha elections.

    BSP chief Mayawati, meanwhile, announced that her party will go it alone in the next Lok Sabha elections as well as in Assembly polls in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana, dubbing the NDA, INDIA coalitions “anti-Dalit” alliances.

    A resolution adopted at a meeting of the 39 constituents of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Delhi on Tuesday said the opposition is faced with a crisis of identity and relevance. “Today, the opposition is confused and disoriented,” the resolution said.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi had addressed the meeting. The BJP also intensified the online political fight as the party posted three short videos on social media portraying its rivals as ten-headed Ravana.

    ALSO READ | Opposition bloc ‘INDIA’ gets its tagline; BJP calls it as ‘ten-headed’ Ravana

    In one video, the BJP sought to convey that the people of the country are confused with the opposition alliance as it does not have any policy, vision and a leader to head the coalition.

    The BJP also took a swipe at the opposition parties over a Samajwadi Party (SP) legislator’s remark in the Maharashtra Assembly on chanting ‘Vande Mataram’, asking if this was their idea of ‘INDIA’.

    The BJP’s reaction came after SP MLA Abu Azmi, while raising the Sambhajinagar district riots issue in the Assembly, said chanting ‘Vande Mataram’ was unacceptable to him.

    “Is this idea of I.N.D.I.A? Or is this anti-India? SP is a part of this alleged I.N.D.I.A,” BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said in a tweet, taking a swipe at the newly formed coalition.

    Asked about the name INDIA chosen by opposition parties for their alliance, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said, “Someone does not change by changing the name. They are the same people. It is a old wine in a new bottle.”

    The new alliance, meanwhile, finalised “Jeetega Bharat” as its tagline, setting the tone for its Lok Sabha election campaign. The Hindi tagline means “India will win” and is likely to be replicated in several regional languages, sources said.

    ALSO READ | Inside Opposition’s meet: A look at how ‘INDIA’ was chosen alliance name

    Talking to reporters after inaugurating a month-long ‘Malmas Mela’ in Rajgir in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar claimed that the BJP will be wiped out in the Lok Sabha polls.

    “The (Bengaluru) meeting was very fruitful and we all are very happy with the outcome. I could not attend the press conference after the conclave as I had to come back to Patna. My effort is to unite all opposition parties ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and now things are taking shape,” the JD(U) leader said.

    BJP leader Sushil Modi on Tuesday had claimed that Nitish Kumar returned to Patna without attending the press meet as he was “upset” over not being made the convenor of the alliance. The CM asked, “Who takes Sushil Modi seriously?”

    “We are working to unify all non-BJP parties ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The Patna opposition meeting was attended by 16 parties and there were 26 parties in Bengaluru. Our numbers are increasing and the unity of the opposition parties is getting strengthened,” he added.

    JD(U) president Rajiv Ranjan Singh ‘Lalan’ described as “dushprachar” (canard) reports of Nitish Kumar being unhappy with the acronym INDIA and going into a sulk over not being made convener of the new coalition. The name INDIA bore the stamp of approval from all leaders present at the opposition conclave, said Lalan, who accompanied the CM on the trip to Bengaluru. He also asserted that selecting the convenor was not on the agenda of Tuesday’s meeting.

    “It may be thought about when the next meeting takes place in Mumbai….Nitish Kumar is the sutradhar (driving force) of opposition unity. And a sutradhar never gets angry,” Lalan said in Patna. He also claimed that the NDA meeting on Tuesday was indicative of its “desperation”.

    READ MORE:

    ‘INDIA’: Opposition alliance gets a name, to set up 11-member coordination committee
    NDA will secure over 50 per cent of votes in 2024 Lok Sabha elections, says PM Modi
    Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala asserted that no matter how hard the BJP tries to create a rift in the opposition alliance INDIA, it will not succeed. “We are all united. No matter how hard the BJP and Modi ji try to create a rift in Team India, they will not succeed,” he told reporters in Delhi.

    “The restlessness of the BJP is understandable. I wish them luck in continuing with their conspiratorial agenda.”

    Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said parties that love the country and motherland have come together, and asserted there is now a strong front against “dictatorship.”

    SP president Akhilesh Yadav took a dig at the NDA and said the ruling coalition’s meeting in Delhi was its “farewell ceremony.”

    “The BJP has become afraid of ‘INDIA’. This name (of the opposition bloc) is good. ‘INDIA’ is a message of development and inclusiveness,” Yadav said in a statement in Lucknow.

    Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut also took a swipe at the BJP, saying the ruling party remembered the NDA only after 26 opposition parties came together to form the grouping ‘INDIA’.

    AIADMK general secretary and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami claimed the NDA would win 330 seats in the Lok Sabha elections.

    BJP leader and former Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan said the new opposition grouping does not have a consensus candidate to take on Prime Minister Modi and they will soon start fighting among themselves.

    (With Additional Inputs from PTI)

  • It’s ‘NDA vs INDIA’ as BJP, Opposition parties shore up alliances for 2024 Lok Sabha polls

    By ENS & Agencies

    A Tale of two cities — Bengaluru and Delhi — where battle lines were drawn and alliances were firmed up after months of courting.

    In Bengaluru, a block of 26 parties came together for a ‘united opposition’ meeting to chalk out strategies to take on the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The opposition parties formally announced their alliance named ‘Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance’ (INDIA) at the culmination of their two-day meeting in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

    “It is going to be INDIA vs NDA,” AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge declared at the press conference after day-long deliberations held by leaders from the opposition parties. The Congress president said in the meeting they have decided to set up an 11-member core committee and a secretariat in New Delhi to take the initiative forward.

    The road map will be drawn for the strongest opposition alliance “INDIA” at the next meeting of the alliance to be held in Mumbai. Kharge said the leaders of the opposition alliance will travel across the country to expose the failures of the BJP government in the last nine years.

    ALSO READ | Inside Opposition’s meet: A look at how ‘INDIA’ was chosen alliance name

    He slammed the Centre for misusing agencies to target political opponents and attempts to destroy democracy and the Constitution. The parties expressed their steadfast resolve to safeguard the idea of India as enshrined in the Constitution.

    Ridiculing the BJP’s claim of 30 parties attending the NDA meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday, the Congress chief said he is not sure if those parties are registered with the Election Commission of India (ECI) or not. He claimed that the opposition conclave that was attended by 16 parties in Patna on June 23 has increased to 26 setting the stage to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. 

    West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP to challenge INDIA, while senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said they are here to defend the voice of the country. “The fight is not between the two political formations, but it is between our idea of India and the BJP’s and PM Narendra Modi’s idea of India,” he said.

    ‘New India, Development, Aspiration’

    As the opposition parties put up a united front in Karnataka’s capital, another meeting took centre stage somewhere 2,100 kilometres up north at the national capital. 

    Representatives from 38 parties along with the BJP congregated in Delhi to chalk out NDA’s strategy, asserting that the alliance will contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi

    Addressing the meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the NDA will secure over 50 per cent of the total votes polled in next year’s Lok Sabha elections.

    “The NDA got 38 per cent (of the total votes polled) in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Acknowledging the work that we put in to safeguard our national interests, people reposed their faith in us and gave us 45 per cent of the (total) vote share in the 2019 elections. All our alliance partners are working sincerely and dedicatedly, which gives me the confidence that we will get over 50 per cent vote share in 2024,” he said.

    Countering the Opposition parties, which named their alliance as ‘INDIA’, Modi said the NDA stands for “New India, Development, Aspiration.”

    Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde proposed the NDA’s resolution in the meeting while the AIADMK’s K Palaniswami and the AGP’s Atul Bora supported it. The resolution lauded the Modi government’s pro-poor measures which, it added, has led to a sharp reduction in poverty.

    It has been committed to social and economic upliftment of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, women and economically weaker sections of the society, it said.

    It also mentioned India’s “rising economic prowess on the global stage” and its emergence as a capable, strong, powerful and secure country under Modi’s leadership.

    The NDA leaders, who arrived for the meeting, also posed for a group photograph before going into a huddle. The meeting is part of the BJP’s ongoing efforts to shore up the NDA and devise a joint strategy against the fledgeling grand Opposition alliance, ‘INDIA’, with an eye on next year’s Lok Sabha elections.

    (With inputs from K Shivakumar and Ramu Patil)(Additional inputs from Online Desk, PTI, ANI)

    A Tale of two cities — Bengaluru and Delhi — where battle lines were drawn and alliances were firmed up after months of courting.

    In Bengaluru, a block of 26 parties came together for a ‘united opposition’ meeting to chalk out strategies to take on the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The opposition parties formally announced their alliance named ‘Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance’ (INDIA) at the culmination of their two-day meeting in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

    “It is going to be INDIA vs NDA,” AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge declared at the press conference after day-long deliberations held by leaders from the opposition parties. The Congress president said in the meeting they have decided to set up an 11-member core committee and a secretariat in New Delhi to take the initiative forward.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The road map will be drawn for the strongest opposition alliance “INDIA” at the next meeting of the alliance to be held in Mumbai. Kharge said the leaders of the opposition alliance will travel across the country to expose the failures of the BJP government in the last nine years.

    ALSO READ | Inside Opposition’s meet: A look at how ‘INDIA’ was chosen alliance name

    He slammed the Centre for misusing agencies to target political opponents and attempts to destroy democracy and the Constitution. The parties expressed their steadfast resolve to safeguard the idea of India as enshrined in the Constitution.

    Ridiculing the BJP’s claim of 30 parties attending the NDA meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday, the Congress chief said he is not sure if those parties are registered with the Election Commission of India (ECI) or not. He claimed that the opposition conclave that was attended by 16 parties in Patna on June 23 has increased to 26 setting the stage to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. 

    West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP to challenge INDIA, while senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said they are here to defend the voice of the country. “The fight is not between the two political formations, but it is between our idea of India and the BJP’s and PM Narendra Modi’s idea of India,” he said.

    ‘New India, Development, Aspiration’

    As the opposition parties put up a united front in Karnataka’s capital, another meeting took centre stage somewhere 2,100 kilometres up north at the national capital. 

    Representatives from 38 parties along with the BJP congregated in Delhi to chalk out NDA’s strategy, asserting that the alliance will contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi

    Addressing the meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the NDA will secure over 50 per cent of the total votes polled in next year’s Lok Sabha elections.

    “The NDA got 38 per cent (of the total votes polled) in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Acknowledging the work that we put in to safeguard our national interests, people reposed their faith in us and gave us 45 per cent of the (total) vote share in the 2019 elections. All our alliance partners are working sincerely and dedicatedly, which gives me the confidence that we will get over 50 per cent vote share in 2024,” he said.

    Countering the Opposition parties, which named their alliance as ‘INDIA’, Modi said the NDA stands for “New India, Development, Aspiration.”

    Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde proposed the NDA’s resolution in the meeting while the AIADMK’s K Palaniswami and the AGP’s Atul Bora supported it. The resolution lauded the Modi government’s pro-poor measures which, it added, has led to a sharp reduction in poverty.

    It has been committed to social and economic upliftment of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, women and economically weaker sections of the society, it said.

    It also mentioned India’s “rising economic prowess on the global stage” and its emergence as a capable, strong, powerful and secure country under Modi’s leadership.

    The NDA leaders, who arrived for the meeting, also posed for a group photograph before going into a huddle. The meeting is part of the BJP’s ongoing efforts to shore up the NDA and devise a joint strategy against the fledgeling grand Opposition alliance, ‘INDIA’, with an eye on next year’s Lok Sabha elections.

    (With inputs from K Shivakumar and Ramu Patil)(Additional inputs from Online Desk, PTI, ANI)

  • NDA constituents repose faith in PM Modi, resolve to contest 2024 LS polls under his leadership

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: All 39 constituents of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Tuesday reposed faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and resolved to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections unitedly under his leadership.

    In a resolution passed at a meeting convened by the BJP, the NDA partners also exuded confidence in emerging victorious in the polls and forming their government at the Centre under Prime Minister Modi for the third consecutive term.

    “The National Democratic Alliance meeting was held in New Delhi today under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modiji. A total of 39 alliance parties of the NDA participated in it,” the NDA resolution read. The meeting was organised on the occasion of the completion of 25 “successful years” of the NDA’s foundation, it added.

    “In the meeting, all constituents of the NDA resolved that the NDA will unitedly contest the Lok Sabha elections under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modiji and for the third consecutive time, Narendra Modiji will become the prime minister of the country with a huge majority,” the resolution said.

    ALSO READ | NDA will secure over 50 per cent of votes in 2024 Lok Sabha elections: PM Modi

    The NDA noted that the blessings it received from the people in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections under the leadership of Modi grew “manifold” in the 2019 polls.

    “Rejecting and rubbishing the lies, rumours and baseless allegations of the opposition parties, the country is reposing faith in the leadership of the NDA coalition,” the BJP-led alliance said.

    “The opposition is faced with a crisis of identity and relevance. Today, the opposition is confused and disoriented,” it added.

    The NDA parties lauded Prime Minister Modi for propelling India on the path of “unprecedented development” through his commitment, devotion, unrelenting hard work and selfless dedication, and giving the citizens the opportunity to feel proud over the realisation of the power and prowess of their country.

    “The NDA constituents unanimously commit that under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi as participants of this development journey – we are one, we are united and we are unanimous,” the resolution read.

    ALSO READ | We’ve come together to defeat hatred against minorities, say Opposition leaders

    NEW DELHI: All 39 constituents of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Tuesday reposed faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and resolved to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections unitedly under his leadership.

    In a resolution passed at a meeting convened by the BJP, the NDA partners also exuded confidence in emerging victorious in the polls and forming their government at the Centre under Prime Minister Modi for the third consecutive term.

    “The National Democratic Alliance meeting was held in New Delhi today under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modiji. A total of 39 alliance parties of the NDA participated in it,” the NDA resolution read. The meeting was organised on the occasion of the completion of 25 “successful years” of the NDA’s foundation, it added.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “In the meeting, all constituents of the NDA resolved that the NDA will unitedly contest the Lok Sabha elections under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modiji and for the third consecutive time, Narendra Modiji will become the prime minister of the country with a huge majority,” the resolution said.

    ALSO READ | NDA will secure over 50 per cent of votes in 2024 Lok Sabha elections: PM Modi

    The NDA noted that the blessings it received from the people in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections under the leadership of Modi grew “manifold” in the 2019 polls.

    “Rejecting and rubbishing the lies, rumours and baseless allegations of the opposition parties, the country is reposing faith in the leadership of the NDA coalition,” the BJP-led alliance said.

    “The opposition is faced with a crisis of identity and relevance. Today, the opposition is confused and disoriented,” it added.

    The NDA parties lauded Prime Minister Modi for propelling India on the path of “unprecedented development” through his commitment, devotion, unrelenting hard work and selfless dedication, and giving the citizens the opportunity to feel proud over the realisation of the power and prowess of their country.

    “The NDA constituents unanimously commit that under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi as participants of this development journey – we are one, we are united and we are unanimous,” the resolution read.

    ALSO READ | We’ve come together to defeat hatred against minorities, say Opposition leaders

  • ‘United We Stand’ is Opposition’s slogan as leaders begin two-day brainstorming session

    By PTI

    BENGALURU: With a call for unity, top leaders of 26 opposition parties began crucial deliberations on Monday to chalk out their joint programme aimed at defeating the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

    Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee, who were seated next to each other, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, chief ministers M K Stalin, Nitish Kumar, Arvind Kejriwal and Hemant Soren and RJD chief Lalu Prasad were among those who attended the dinner meeting where discussions were held to finalise the agenda for the formal talks starting Tuesday morning.

    Sources said NCP chief Sharad Pawar was the only leader among the invitees not present at the meeting at Taj West End Hotel and he would arrive on Tuesday along with his daughter Supriya Sule.

    “It was a good meeting,” Mamata Banerjee later said.

    The leaders sat in front of a huge banner with the “United We Stand” slogan, which was also put on posters that dotted the streets of Bengaluru with pictures of opposition leaders.

    ALSO READ | Sonia, Mamata share moments together during opposition meet in Bengaluru

    Among others at the meeting hosted by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah were Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), Akhilesh Yadav (SP), Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena-UBT), Farooq Abdullah (NC) and Mehbooba Mufti (PDP), besides Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), D Raja (CPI), Jayant Chaudhary (RLD) and MDMK MP Vaiko.

    A warm welcome was earlier accorded here to all the leaders on their arrival here for the two-day brain-storming session. The Congress and other parties asserted that their meeting was setting the narrative and would be a “game changer” for the Indian political scenario.

    They took a swipe at the BJP, saying those who used to talk of defeating the opposition parties alone are now making attempts to breathe new life into the NDA.

    Claiming that the BJP was rattled, Congress president Kharge said all opposition alliance partners will unitedly fight against the BJP and thwart attempts to divide them.

    The Opposition meeting coincides with the NDA meeting convened on July 18 in Delhi, where some new allies are likely to join the ruling BJP-led coalition.

    Talks of unity notwithstanding, differences among opposition parties, especially those who have been traditional rivals, remain and reconciling political interests will be a challenging task.

    Arriving for the Opposition meeting, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury ruled out any alliance with the TMC in West Bengal and said that secular parties along with the Left and the Congress will take on the BJP as well as the TMC in the state. Yechury, however, added that the endeavour is to reduce the split in opposition votes and they will chalk out a plan to fight together.

    The BJP, which has been targeting these parties over their differences, on Monday called it a “meeting of opportunists and power-hungry” leaders and said such an alliance will not do any good for the country at present or in the future.

    But Congress general secretary organisation KC Venugopal said the 26 opposition parties are here to move forward unitedly and give a solution for people’s problems and to address the concerns over this “dictatorial government’s actions.”

    Leaders from India’s top opposition parties meet, in Bengaluru, Monday, July 17, 2023. (Photo | PTI)

    ‘Leaders will begin work on CMP’

    Sources said the opposition leaders will begin work on a common minimum programme and announce a joint agitational plan, besides holding discussions on issuing a joint declaration and moving forward on their proposal of putting up common opposition candidates in a majority of the Lok Sabha seats.

    Fifteen parties including the Congress, TMC, AAP, CPI, CPI-M, RJD, JMM, NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT), SP and JDU, attended the last meeting for opposition unity hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna on June 23.

    Among the parties added this time are MDMK, KDMK, VCK, RSP, CPI-ML, Forward Bloc, IUML, Kerala Congress (Joseph) and Kerala Congress (Mani), besides the Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) of Krishna Patel and Tamil Nadu’s Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) led by M H Jawahirullah. The total strength of the opposition parties attending this meeting is around 150 in Lok Sabha.

    TMC leader Derek O’Brien said political parties at the Bengaluru meeting “were clearly setting the narrative” while the “BJP is reacting.” He claimed that out of the NDA allies, eight do not have a single MP, nine have one MP each and three have two MPs each.

    ALSO READ | Two-thirds of India’s voters will kick BJP out in 2024: Akhilesh Yadav

    Kharge took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he had claimed that he alone is enough to take on the Opposition, then why was he feeling the need to get 30 parties together?

    Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said attempts are being made to breathe new life into the NDA “which had become a ghost.”

    Venugopal said the opposition parties are all united by a common purpose to protect democracy, constitutional rights and the independence of institutions in this country. The Parliament session is starting on July 20 and the opposition parties will chalk out the strategy for that also, he said.

    Asked who would be the leader of the alliance, Venugopal said, “We have enough leaders, who have proved their mettle in various capacities. You don’t worry about the leader, worry about the situation in the country.” He also added, “We are very sure that this (meeting) is going to be a game changer for the Indian political scenario.”

    Referring to his party’s differences with the TMC, CPI(M) leader Yechury said the situation is different in every state. “Mamata and CPI(M) will not happen. There will be secular parties along with the Left and the Congress in West Bengal which will fight against the BJP and TMC,” the CPI(M) general secretary said, adding that at the Centre what form this will take will be decided later.

    Yechury referred to the 2004 model which brought the Left-Congress coalition to power at the Centre. “The effort is to ensure that in these situations the division of votes which gives BJP the advantage should be minimal. This is not a new thing. In 2004, the Left had 61 seats, out of which we won 57 defeating the Congress candidates…then the Manmohan Singh government was formed and it ran for 10 years,” Yechury said.

    The Opposition meeting comes in the backdrop of the split in the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the violence-marred West Bengal panchayat polls.

    BENGALURU: With a call for unity, top leaders of 26 opposition parties began crucial deliberations on Monday to chalk out their joint programme aimed at defeating the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

    Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee, who were seated next to each other, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, chief ministers M K Stalin, Nitish Kumar, Arvind Kejriwal and Hemant Soren and RJD chief Lalu Prasad were among those who attended the dinner meeting where discussions were held to finalise the agenda for the formal talks starting Tuesday morning.

    Sources said NCP chief Sharad Pawar was the only leader among the invitees not present at the meeting at Taj West End Hotel and he would arrive on Tuesday along with his daughter Supriya Sule.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “It was a good meeting,” Mamata Banerjee later said.

    The leaders sat in front of a huge banner with the “United We Stand” slogan, which was also put on posters that dotted the streets of Bengaluru with pictures of opposition leaders.

    ALSO READ | Sonia, Mamata share moments together during opposition meet in Bengaluru

    Among others at the meeting hosted by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah were Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), Akhilesh Yadav (SP), Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena-UBT), Farooq Abdullah (NC) and Mehbooba Mufti (PDP), besides Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), D Raja (CPI), Jayant Chaudhary (RLD) and MDMK MP Vaiko.

    A warm welcome was earlier accorded here to all the leaders on their arrival here for the two-day brain-storming session. The Congress and other parties asserted that their meeting was setting the narrative and would be a “game changer” for the Indian political scenario.

    They took a swipe at the BJP, saying those who used to talk of defeating the opposition parties alone are now making attempts to breathe new life into the NDA.

    Claiming that the BJP was rattled, Congress president Kharge said all opposition alliance partners will unitedly fight against the BJP and thwart attempts to divide them.

    The Opposition meeting coincides with the NDA meeting convened on July 18 in Delhi, where some new allies are likely to join the ruling BJP-led coalition.

    Talks of unity notwithstanding, differences among opposition parties, especially those who have been traditional rivals, remain and reconciling political interests will be a challenging task.

    Arriving for the Opposition meeting, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury ruled out any alliance with the TMC in West Bengal and said that secular parties along with the Left and the Congress will take on the BJP as well as the TMC in the state. Yechury, however, added that the endeavour is to reduce the split in opposition votes and they will chalk out a plan to fight together.

    The BJP, which has been targeting these parties over their differences, on Monday called it a “meeting of opportunists and power-hungry” leaders and said such an alliance will not do any good for the country at present or in the future.

    But Congress general secretary organisation KC Venugopal said the 26 opposition parties are here to move forward unitedly and give a solution for people’s problems and to address the concerns over this “dictatorial government’s actions.”

    Leaders from India’s top opposition parties meet, in Bengaluru, Monday, July 17, 2023. (Photo | PTI)

    ‘Leaders will begin work on CMP’

    Sources said the opposition leaders will begin work on a common minimum programme and announce a joint agitational plan, besides holding discussions on issuing a joint declaration and moving forward on their proposal of putting up common opposition candidates in a majority of the Lok Sabha seats.

    Fifteen parties including the Congress, TMC, AAP, CPI, CPI-M, RJD, JMM, NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT), SP and JDU, attended the last meeting for opposition unity hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna on June 23.

    Among the parties added this time are MDMK, KDMK, VCK, RSP, CPI-ML, Forward Bloc, IUML, Kerala Congress (Joseph) and Kerala Congress (Mani), besides the Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) of Krishna Patel and Tamil Nadu’s Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) led by M H Jawahirullah. The total strength of the opposition parties attending this meeting is around 150 in Lok Sabha.

    TMC leader Derek O’Brien said political parties at the Bengaluru meeting “were clearly setting the narrative” while the “BJP is reacting.” He claimed that out of the NDA allies, eight do not have a single MP, nine have one MP each and three have two MPs each.

    ALSO READ | Two-thirds of India’s voters will kick BJP out in 2024: Akhilesh Yadav

    Kharge took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he had claimed that he alone is enough to take on the Opposition, then why was he feeling the need to get 30 parties together?

    Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said attempts are being made to breathe new life into the NDA “which had become a ghost.”

    Venugopal said the opposition parties are all united by a common purpose to protect democracy, constitutional rights and the independence of institutions in this country. The Parliament session is starting on July 20 and the opposition parties will chalk out the strategy for that also, he said.

    Asked who would be the leader of the alliance, Venugopal said, “We have enough leaders, who have proved their mettle in various capacities. You don’t worry about the leader, worry about the situation in the country.” He also added, “We are very sure that this (meeting) is going to be a game changer for the Indian political scenario.”

    Referring to his party’s differences with the TMC, CPI(M) leader Yechury said the situation is different in every state. “Mamata and CPI(M) will not happen. There will be secular parties along with the Left and the Congress in West Bengal which will fight against the BJP and TMC,” the CPI(M) general secretary said, adding that at the Centre what form this will take will be decided later.

    Yechury referred to the 2004 model which brought the Left-Congress coalition to power at the Centre. “The effort is to ensure that in these situations the division of votes which gives BJP the advantage should be minimal. This is not a new thing. In 2004, the Left had 61 seats, out of which we won 57 defeating the Congress candidates…then the Manmohan Singh government was formed and it ran for 10 years,” Yechury said.

    The Opposition meeting comes in the backdrop of the split in the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the violence-marred West Bengal panchayat polls.

  • Sonia, Mamata share moments together during opposition meet in Bengaluru

    By PTI

    BENGALURU: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi shared moments together, enquiring about each other’s health and strategising on opposition unity on the first day of the Bengaluru summit, sources told PTI.

    The two leaders met each other after a gap of two years. The last time Banerjee met Gandhi was at the latter’s residence in July 2021.

    While the two leaders have always had a cordial relationship, certain comments made by Congress leaders both in Delhi and West Bengal were believed to have led to some bad blood between them.

    Banerjee, the sources said was particularly upset about the remarks made by Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the Congress’s Lok Sabha MP from Behrampore in West Bengal, labelling her as a dictator and the workers of her Trinamool Congress (TMC) as goons.

    The sources said both Banerjee and Gandhi arrived at the venue of the summit at around 6 pm and were seen chatting with each other for about half an hour, before the meeting started.

    They said both enquired about each other’s health — Banerjee is recovering from a knee surgery and Gandhi too has had health issues.

    The sources said the two leaders sat next to each other during the meeting that lasted for around an hour and a half and discussed ways in which their parties can work together and stay united against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre.

    Banerjee, who was supposed to skip a dinner after the meeting due to her surgery, stayed on for some time after the deliberations but did not eat anything, the sources said.

    TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and national spokesperson Derek O’Brien attended the dinner after Banerjee left.

    The Congress and the TMC will play a major role in the coming days to cement the opposition unity.

    Gandhi had not attended the last opposition meeting held in Patna on June 23.

    BENGALURU: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi shared moments together, enquiring about each other’s health and strategising on opposition unity on the first day of the Bengaluru summit, sources told PTI.

    The two leaders met each other after a gap of two years. The last time Banerjee met Gandhi was at the latter’s residence in July 2021.

    While the two leaders have always had a cordial relationship, certain comments made by Congress leaders both in Delhi and West Bengal were believed to have led to some bad blood between them.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Banerjee, the sources said was particularly upset about the remarks made by Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the Congress’s Lok Sabha MP from Behrampore in West Bengal, labelling her as a dictator and the workers of her Trinamool Congress (TMC) as goons.

    The sources said both Banerjee and Gandhi arrived at the venue of the summit at around 6 pm and were seen chatting with each other for about half an hour, before the meeting started.

    They said both enquired about each other’s health — Banerjee is recovering from a knee surgery and Gandhi too has had health issues.

    The sources said the two leaders sat next to each other during the meeting that lasted for around an hour and a half and discussed ways in which their parties can work together and stay united against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre.

    Banerjee, who was supposed to skip a dinner after the meeting due to her surgery, stayed on for some time after the deliberations but did not eat anything, the sources said.

    TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and national spokesperson Derek O’Brien attended the dinner after Banerjee left.

    The Congress and the TMC will play a major role in the coming days to cement the opposition unity.

    Gandhi had not attended the last opposition meeting held in Patna on June 23.

  • Attempts being made to breathe new life into NDA after Patna opposition meet: Congress

    By PTI

    BENGALURU: The Congress on Monday asserted that Opposition unity would be “a game changer” for the Indian political scenario and took a swipe at the BJP, saying those who used to talk of defeating the opposition parties alone are now making attempts to breathe new life into the NDA which had become a “ghost.”

    Addressing a press conference here on the two-day crucial deliberations of opposition parties starting Monday evening, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has suddenly remembered the NDA (National Democratic Alliance).

    “Attempts are being made to breathe new life into the NDA. There used to be no talk about NDA and suddenly since the past few days we are hearing and reading about it. Suddenly, it was reported that an NDA meeting has been called for tomorrow. So NDA, which had become a ghost, attempts are now being made to breathe a new life into it,” Ramesh said.

    This is a result of the meeting in Patna, he added.

    Ramesh also said all parties have to decide whether they are with the forces defending the Constitution or with the party that is attacking the Constitution as the time for staying neutral has gone.

    Soon after BJP chief J P Nadda announced that 38 parties have confirmed their participation in the NDA meeting on Tuesday, Ramesh said in a tweet, “Suddenly the NDA is being sought to be revived years after it had become a farce. This is the direct impact of 26 Opposition parties coming together.”

    “After the Patna conclave on June 23rd, and the fact that more parties are attending the Bengaluru conclave tomorrow, the BJP is desperately trying to infuse life into the NDA,” he said.

    Addressing the presser alongside Ramesh, Congress general secretary organisation KC Venugopal said that when the time comes, people will teach a lesson to those who have totally failed in governance and cheated them with false promises.

    He said 26 opposition parties are here to move forward unitedly and give a solution for people’s problems and address the concerns over this “dictatorial government’s actions.”

    “That is why we have come here. This is the second meeting. We will decide in this meeting what the course of action would be in the future,” Venugopal said.

    The Parliament session is also starting on July 20 and the opposition parties will chalk out the strategy for that also, he said.

    “We are very sure that this is going to be a game changer for the Indian political scenario and we are very happy to see that after the Patna meeting those who were saying that ‘we are very comfortable in defeating the entire Opposition alone’, have now started meetings, that is the real success of opposition unity,” Venugopal said.

    Asked who would be the leader of the alliance, Venugopal said, “We have enough leaders, who have proved their mettle in various capacities. You don’t worry about the leader, worry about the situation in the country.”

    He said the opposition parties are all united by a common purpose to protect democracy, constitutional rights, and the independence of institutions in this country.

    “These are all under attack from the BJP government. They want to silence the Opposition’s voice. They are using their agencies like the Enforcement Directorate, CBI to suppress the voice of Opposition. The disqualification of Rahul Gandhi was the biggest example of that,” Venugopal alleged.

    “The incident happening in Maharashtra also shows that. They want to destabilise elected governments by misusing these agencies,” he said referring to the Ajit Pawar-led revolt in the NCP.

    Venugopal also said that Manipur has been “burning” since the last 75 days and the “silence of the PM Modi is shocking.”

    The people of the country are in great distress, he claimed, pointing to unemployment and price rise. He alleged that the government was making no attempts to address the common concerns of the people.

    Venugopal said 26 political parties from all over India will participate in the second Opposition summit in Bengaluru on July 18 after a “successful” meeting in Patna.

    He also said the opposition parties will extensively debate on all issues including whether to go with the same UPA name or coin a new nomenclature.

    In their meeting in Patna, the opposition parties resolved to take on the BJP unitedly in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

    Hailing the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Venugopal said Rahul Gandhi is the mass leader in the Congress party and his efforts were praised in the last meeting as well.

    BENGALURU: The Congress on Monday asserted that Opposition unity would be “a game changer” for the Indian political scenario and took a swipe at the BJP, saying those who used to talk of defeating the opposition parties alone are now making attempts to breathe new life into the NDA which had become a “ghost.”

    Addressing a press conference here on the two-day crucial deliberations of opposition parties starting Monday evening, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has suddenly remembered the NDA (National Democratic Alliance).

    “Attempts are being made to breathe new life into the NDA. There used to be no talk about NDA and suddenly since the past few days we are hearing and reading about it. Suddenly, it was reported that an NDA meeting has been called for tomorrow. So NDA, which had become a ghost, attempts are now being made to breathe a new life into it,” Ramesh said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    This is a result of the meeting in Patna, he added.

    Ramesh also said all parties have to decide whether they are with the forces defending the Constitution or with the party that is attacking the Constitution as the time for staying neutral has gone.

    Soon after BJP chief J P Nadda announced that 38 parties have confirmed their participation in the NDA meeting on Tuesday, Ramesh said in a tweet, “Suddenly the NDA is being sought to be revived years after it had become a farce. This is the direct impact of 26 Opposition parties coming together.”

    “After the Patna conclave on June 23rd, and the fact that more parties are attending the Bengaluru conclave tomorrow, the BJP is desperately trying to infuse life into the NDA,” he said.

    Addressing the presser alongside Ramesh, Congress general secretary organisation KC Venugopal said that when the time comes, people will teach a lesson to those who have totally failed in governance and cheated them with false promises.

    He said 26 opposition parties are here to move forward unitedly and give a solution for people’s problems and address the concerns over this “dictatorial government’s actions.”

    “That is why we have come here. This is the second meeting. We will decide in this meeting what the course of action would be in the future,” Venugopal said.

    The Parliament session is also starting on July 20 and the opposition parties will chalk out the strategy for that also, he said.

    “We are very sure that this is going to be a game changer for the Indian political scenario and we are very happy to see that after the Patna meeting those who were saying that ‘we are very comfortable in defeating the entire Opposition alone’, have now started meetings, that is the real success of opposition unity,” Venugopal said.

    Asked who would be the leader of the alliance, Venugopal said, “We have enough leaders, who have proved their mettle in various capacities. You don’t worry about the leader, worry about the situation in the country.”

    He said the opposition parties are all united by a common purpose to protect democracy, constitutional rights, and the independence of institutions in this country.

    “These are all under attack from the BJP government. They want to silence the Opposition’s voice. They are using their agencies like the Enforcement Directorate, CBI to suppress the voice of Opposition. The disqualification of Rahul Gandhi was the biggest example of that,” Venugopal alleged.

    “The incident happening in Maharashtra also shows that. They want to destabilise elected governments by misusing these agencies,” he said referring to the Ajit Pawar-led revolt in the NCP.

    Venugopal also said that Manipur has been “burning” since the last 75 days and the “silence of the PM Modi is shocking.”

    The people of the country are in great distress, he claimed, pointing to unemployment and price rise. He alleged that the government was making no attempts to address the common concerns of the people.

    Venugopal said 26 political parties from all over India will participate in the second Opposition summit in Bengaluru on July 18 after a “successful” meeting in Patna.

    He also said the opposition parties will extensively debate on all issues including whether to go with the same UPA name or coin a new nomenclature.

    In their meeting in Patna, the opposition parties resolved to take on the BJP unitedly in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

    Hailing the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Venugopal said Rahul Gandhi is the mass leader in the Congress party and his efforts were praised in the last meeting as well.

  • 26 Opposition parties to attend two-day brainstorming session on July 17-18 to take on BJP in 2024

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Top leaders of as many as 26 opposition parties are likely to attend the two-day brainstorming session in Bengaluru from Monday where they will chalk out their strategy to unitedly fight against the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, according to sources.

    On the eve of the meeting hosted by it, the Congress clarified that it will oppose the ordinance on Delhi services in Parliament, a key condition put by the Aam Aadmi Party to attend the talks.

    Fifteen parties attended the last meeting for opposition unity hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna on June 23. “This time we are expecting leaders of 26 parties,” a source said.

    The opposition meeting also comes in the backdrop of the split in the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the West Bengal panchayat polls which saw widespread violence that claimed many lives with state units of the Congress and Left parties accusing the TMC government of oppression.

    The sources said the opposition parties will chart out a joint agitational plan across the country against the policies of the BJP, especially after the NCP split in Maharashtra.

    They said that the leaders will announce steps to further opposition unity to take on the BJP and “expose its attempts at toppling opposition governments and taking control over non-BJP-ruled states through the Governors.”

    “It will be a decisive meeting. Several issues will be discussed,” Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said.

    The BJP, however, hit out at the opposition parties, alleging that they are a “divided lot” and have no specific programme other than to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    BJP president JP Nadda alleged that opposition parties were in the process of forming an alliance to “protect” their dynastic politics. The proposed coalition is not a “Patriotic Democratic Alliance” but a “Protection of Dynasties Alliance”, he said in Jaipur.

    CPI general secretary D Raja said the two-day session will be a step further in the demonstration of the Opposition’s joint resolve to defeat the BJP. “The Bengaluru meeting will be another step forward in uniting the secular and democratic parties in order to defeat the BJP and in order to save the nation and democracy,” Raja told PTI.

    Congress Parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi is also likely to attend the meeting this time.

    Other top leaders including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Bihar Chief Minister and JDU leader Nitish Kumar, DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, JMM leader and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal are expected to participate along with former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.

    “Today, the Congress party cleared its position against Delhi Ordinance. We welcome the announcement. Along with this, AAP will attend the opposition meet in Bengaluru,” says AAP leader Raghav Chadha said.

    The two-day session will begin with a dinner meeting to be hosted by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and another formal meeting on Tuesday, after which they are expected to firm up their unity plans and announce their further programme.

    A senior leader said opposition parties would have to iron out their differences if they have to take on the might of the BJP.

    The BJP alleged it was a meeting by a “fractured” Opposition and that “desperation ad confusion” has gripped the Congress with its central leadership going against the state units.

    “‘Disunited Congress’ holding fractured ‘Opposition Meeting’ in Bengaluru should first explain differences within Congress,” BJP spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill tweeted.

    “On the issue of Delhi Service Ordinance: Punjab Congress Mr Pratap Bajwa categorically said ‘AAP doesn’t deserve Congress Support’. Congress leader Mr Maken said ‘Congress should not support AAP’. Today, Cong Gen Secy KC Venugopal says ‘Congress not in favour of Ordinance-support AAP’. Political desperation and confusion grips Congress,” Shergill continued.

    He alleged that the Congress has become AAP’s ‘spare wheel.”

    “‘Hate for PM Modi’ only glue for Opposition Unity. No agenda, no ideology and no leader – Only lust for power,” the BJP leader said.

    NEW DELHI: Top leaders of as many as 26 opposition parties are likely to attend the two-day brainstorming session in Bengaluru from Monday where they will chalk out their strategy to unitedly fight against the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, according to sources.

    On the eve of the meeting hosted by it, the Congress clarified that it will oppose the ordinance on Delhi services in Parliament, a key condition put by the Aam Aadmi Party to attend the talks.

    Fifteen parties attended the last meeting for opposition unity hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna on June 23. “This time we are expecting leaders of 26 parties,” a source said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The opposition meeting also comes in the backdrop of the split in the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the West Bengal panchayat polls which saw widespread violence that claimed many lives with state units of the Congress and Left parties accusing the TMC government of oppression.

    The sources said the opposition parties will chart out a joint agitational plan across the country against the policies of the BJP, especially after the NCP split in Maharashtra.

    They said that the leaders will announce steps to further opposition unity to take on the BJP and “expose its attempts at toppling opposition governments and taking control over non-BJP-ruled states through the Governors.”

    “It will be a decisive meeting. Several issues will be discussed,” Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said.

    The BJP, however, hit out at the opposition parties, alleging that they are a “divided lot” and have no specific programme other than to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    BJP president JP Nadda alleged that opposition parties were in the process of forming an alliance to “protect” their dynastic politics. The proposed coalition is not a “Patriotic Democratic Alliance” but a “Protection of Dynasties Alliance”, he said in Jaipur.

    CPI general secretary D Raja said the two-day session will be a step further in the demonstration of the Opposition’s joint resolve to defeat the BJP. “The Bengaluru meeting will be another step forward in uniting the secular and democratic parties in order to defeat the BJP and in order to save the nation and democracy,” Raja told PTI.

    Congress Parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi is also likely to attend the meeting this time.

    Other top leaders including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Bihar Chief Minister and JDU leader Nitish Kumar, DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, JMM leader and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal are expected to participate along with former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.

    “Today, the Congress party cleared its position against Delhi Ordinance. We welcome the announcement. Along with this, AAP will attend the opposition meet in Bengaluru,” says AAP leader Raghav Chadha said.

    The two-day session will begin with a dinner meeting to be hosted by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and another formal meeting on Tuesday, after which they are expected to firm up their unity plans and announce their further programme.

    A senior leader said opposition parties would have to iron out their differences if they have to take on the might of the BJP.

    The BJP alleged it was a meeting by a “fractured” Opposition and that “desperation ad confusion” has gripped the Congress with its central leadership going against the state units.

    “‘Disunited Congress’ holding fractured ‘Opposition Meeting’ in Bengaluru should first explain differences within Congress,” BJP spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill tweeted.

    “On the issue of Delhi Service Ordinance: Punjab Congress Mr Pratap Bajwa categorically said ‘AAP doesn’t deserve Congress Support’. Congress leader Mr Maken said ‘Congress should not support AAP’. Today, Cong Gen Secy KC Venugopal says ‘Congress not in favour of Ordinance-support AAP’. Political desperation and confusion grips Congress,” Shergill continued.

    He alleged that the Congress has become AAP’s ‘spare wheel.”

    “‘Hate for PM Modi’ only glue for Opposition Unity. No agenda, no ideology and no leader – Only lust for power,” the BJP leader said.

  • AAP to attend opposition meet after Congress backs fight against Centre’s services ordinance

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will attend a meeting of opposition parties in Bengaluru to chalk out a joint strategy to take on the BJP unitedly in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, party leader Raghav Chadha announced on Sunday.

    After a meeting of the AAP’s highest decision-making body — political affairs committee (PAC) — at the party’s national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence here, Chadha also welcomed the Congress’ decision to oppose in Parliament the Centre’s ordinance on the control of administrative services in Delhi.

    The AAP had earlier said it would join the meeting in Bengaluru only if the Congress extended its support to the AAP in opposing the Delhi ordinance in Parliament.

    After the PAC deliberations, Chadha announced that the AAP under the leadership of Kejriwal will participate in the opposition meeting in Bengaluru, beginning with a dinner on Monday.

    This will be the second meeting of more than a dozen opposition parties as they seek to chalk out a joint strategy to take on the BJP unitedly in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

    In their first meeting in Patna, they resolved to take on the BJP unitedly in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

    NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will attend a meeting of opposition parties in Bengaluru to chalk out a joint strategy to take on the BJP unitedly in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, party leader Raghav Chadha announced on Sunday.

    After a meeting of the AAP’s highest decision-making body — political affairs committee (PAC) — at the party’s national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence here, Chadha also welcomed the Congress’ decision to oppose in Parliament the Centre’s ordinance on the control of administrative services in Delhi.

    The AAP had earlier said it would join the meeting in Bengaluru only if the Congress extended its support to the AAP in opposing the Delhi ordinance in Parliament.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    After the PAC deliberations, Chadha announced that the AAP under the leadership of Kejriwal will participate in the opposition meeting in Bengaluru, beginning with a dinner on Monday.

    This will be the second meeting of more than a dozen opposition parties as they seek to chalk out a joint strategy to take on the BJP unitedly in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

    In their first meeting in Patna, they resolved to take on the BJP unitedly in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

  • Opposition meet in Patna on June 23; Rahul, Mamata, Kejriwal, Stalin agree to attend

    By PTI

    PATNA: A meeting of opposition parties, organised by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, will be held in Patna on June 23, his deputy Tejashwi Yadav said on Wednesday.

    Addressing a press conference with JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh by his side, Yadav said that top leaders of most opposition parties, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her Tamil Nadu counterpart M K Stalin and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal have agreed to attend the meeting.

    The meeting was earlier scheduled to be held on June 12, but was put off after some of the parties, including the Congress and the DMK, requested a change in date.

    JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has taken the lead in speaking to several regional satraps besides the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, and the Left to forge unity among opposition ranks to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

    Nitish Kumar had recently said he was opposed to parties sending any leader except their respective heads to the meeting where the anti-BJP players will chalk out a strategy for the Lok Sabha polls next year.

    The JD(U) supremo has been pitching for “opposition unity” ever since he snapped ties with the BJP in August last year, following accusations that the ally was trying to create fissures in his party and diminish his standing.

    He has held separate meetings with leaders of many parties, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge of the Congress, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and leaders from the Left parties.

    As part of the “opposition unity” drive, Kumar has held parleys with not only Congress allies like Uddhav and Pawar but also its opponents like Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao.

    In fact, the idea of hosting a meeting of opposition leaders in Patna was floated by Banerjee, who had invoked the memory of Jayaprakash Narayan upon meeting Kumar in Kolkata last month.

    PATNA: A meeting of opposition parties, organised by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, will be held in Patna on June 23, his deputy Tejashwi Yadav said on Wednesday.

    Addressing a press conference with JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh by his side, Yadav said that top leaders of most opposition parties, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her Tamil Nadu counterpart M K Stalin and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal have agreed to attend the meeting.

    The meeting was earlier scheduled to be held on June 12, but was put off after some of the parties, including the Congress and the DMK, requested a change in date.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has taken the lead in speaking to several regional satraps besides the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, and the Left to forge unity among opposition ranks to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

    Nitish Kumar had recently said he was opposed to parties sending any leader except their respective heads to the meeting where the anti-BJP players will chalk out a strategy for the Lok Sabha polls next year.

    The JD(U) supremo has been pitching for “opposition unity” ever since he snapped ties with the BJP in August last year, following accusations that the ally was trying to create fissures in his party and diminish his standing.

    He has held separate meetings with leaders of many parties, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge of the Congress, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and leaders from the Left parties.

    As part of the “opposition unity” drive, Kumar has held parleys with not only Congress allies like Uddhav and Pawar but also its opponents like Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao.

    In fact, the idea of hosting a meeting of opposition leaders in Patna was floated by Banerjee, who had invoked the memory of Jayaprakash Narayan upon meeting Kumar in Kolkata last month.

  • Road to 2024: Meeting of opposition parties to be held in Patna on June 12

    Express News Service

    PATNA: A much-awaited meeting of Opposition parties to chalk out strategy to counter the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections is set to be held in Patna on June 12. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar will chair the meeting.

    Nitish hinted at the proposed meeting of Opposition parties to be held in the state capital on June 12 while speaking on the concluding day of the two-day conclave of the JD(U) office bearers in Patna on Sunday.

    Kumar, the JD(U)’s supremo, has been pitching for “opposition unity” ever since he snapped ties with the BJP in August last year, following accusations that the ally was trying to create fissures in his party and diminish his standing. Leaders from several parties have thanked him on the occasion and appreciated his step.

    “We have been working for Opposition unity ever since the grand alliance government was formed in Bihar. The positive result of our efforts for uniting Opposition parties against BJP will be visible soon,” he asserted.

    He said the date of the meeting has been finalised after consultation with leaders from Opposition parties across the country. On May 22, Nitish had called on Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi.

    At the joint press conference, both Rahul and Nitish had said that the date of the meeting of Opposition parties would be finalised in two-three days. The leaders of over two dozen non-BJP parties will attend the meeting.

    Earlier, Nitish had met his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and leaders from the Left parties.

    As part of the “opposition unity” drive, Kumar has held parleys with not only Congress allies like Uddhav and Pawar but also its opponents like Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao.

    A meeting with Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, ostensibly to seek land for a Bihar government guest house in that state, is being used by BJP to mock Kumar as the Biju Janata Dal supremo has virtually ruled out joining any broader formation.

    In fact, the idea of hosting a meeting of opposition leaders in Patna was floated by Banerjee, who had invoked the memory of Jayaprakash Narayan upon meeting Kumar in Kolkata last month.

    All eyes would now be on which parties agree to be represented in the meeting, given faultlines like Congress’ mistrust of Kejriwal and KCR and Banerjee’s famed rivalry with the Left.

    (With additional inputs from PTI)

    PATNA: A much-awaited meeting of Opposition parties to chalk out strategy to counter the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections is set to be held in Patna on June 12. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar will chair the meeting.

    Nitish hinted at the proposed meeting of Opposition parties to be held in the state capital on June 12 while speaking on the concluding day of the two-day conclave of the JD(U) office bearers in Patna on Sunday.

    Kumar, the JD(U)’s supremo, has been pitching for “opposition unity” ever since he snapped ties with the BJP in August last year, following accusations that the ally was trying to create fissures in his party and diminish his standing. Leaders from several parties have thanked him on the occasion and appreciated his step.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); });

    “We have been working for Opposition unity ever since the grand alliance government was formed in Bihar. The positive result of our efforts for uniting Opposition parties against BJP will be visible soon,” he asserted.

    He said the date of the meeting has been finalised after consultation with leaders from Opposition parties across the country. On May 22, Nitish had called on Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi.

    At the joint press conference, both Rahul and Nitish had said that the date of the meeting of Opposition parties would be finalised in two-three days. The leaders of over two dozen non-BJP parties will attend the meeting.

    Earlier, Nitish had met his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and leaders from the Left parties.

    As part of the “opposition unity” drive, Kumar has held parleys with not only Congress allies like Uddhav and Pawar but also its opponents like Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao.

    A meeting with Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, ostensibly to seek land for a Bihar government guest house in that state, is being used by BJP to mock Kumar as the Biju Janata Dal supremo has virtually ruled out joining any broader formation.

    In fact, the idea of hosting a meeting of opposition leaders in Patna was floated by Banerjee, who had invoked the memory of Jayaprakash Narayan upon meeting Kumar in Kolkata last month.

    All eyes would now be on which parties agree to be represented in the meeting, given faultlines like Congress’ mistrust of Kejriwal and KCR and Banerjee’s famed rivalry with the Left.

    (With additional inputs from PTI)