News Analysis India

Tag: NDA

  • INDIA bloc: TMC will lead charge in Bengal, India Bloc nationally: Mamata Banerjee

    Setting the tone for 2024 Lok Sabha polls, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said INDIA bloc will taken on the BJP-led NDA in the country while Trinamool Congress will fight on its own in Bengal. Banerjee kicked off the campaign for Lok Sabha polls through a worker’s meet and a public rally at Chakla in North 24 Parganas district.

    Banerjee’s statement on Thursday made clear that there are remote chances of any alliance or seat-sharing with Congress or Left Front in the state.

    Banerjee also hit out at the BJP on CAA, saying, “the citizenship card is a ploy ahead of every Lok Sabha polls in a bid to woo the votes of the Matua community.”AITC took to its X handle and said, “@BJP4India’s yearly revival of the CAA issue is merely a ploy to manipulate people and garner votes. They’ve repeatedly misled the Matua community with false promises of citizenship. Had the Matuas not been legitimate citizens, how would they possess Aadhaar cards, voter IDs, ration cards, and receive the benefits of government schemes and services?”

    Wooing the Matua community in Chakla, Banerjee spoke about the developmental works done for the community in the Matua-dominated North 24 Parganas district.

    “Who did the developmental work for the Matua Thakurbari? We did it and have built colleges and universities… But ahead of elections, they (BJP) visit the Matua Thakurbari and ask for votes, making tall claims,” the West Bengal CM questioned.While talking about the CAA, Banerjee reminded people that all are the citizens of this country. “If you are not a citizen of this country, how are you receiving free ration, Swasthya Sathi, Pan Card, Aadhaar Card? Previously, the citizenship card was the responsibility of the District Magistrates, but the same has been taken away…They want to divide people,” Banerjee asserted.”The Matuas, who came to Bengal from Bangladesh till 1971, live in colonies and we are giving pattas to all those colonies under the name “Chirosthaayi Thikana” to ensure that they don’t have to live like refugees,” Banerjee said.

  • rajya sabha: Rajya Sabha passes two Bills within 12 minutes amid Opp din

    Rajya Sabha passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Second Amendment) Bill, 2023 and The Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2023 on Monday within 12 minutes with NDA members making summary remarks about the legislation before it was cleared by a voice vote. The Opposition members continued their protests during the process and raised slogans to demand a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah on the Parliament security breach issue.

    In Shah’s absence, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai moved the two Bills for consideration and passage in the second half of the day. The Opposition members trooped into the Well of the House, displayed placards and raised slogans while the Bills were being discussed.

    Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar called out some members to speak on the Bill. Among those who spoke a few lines were: Kavita Patidar, K Laxman, S Phangnon Konyak, Rakesh Sinha (BJP), Vijaisai Reddy (YSRCP), Sasmit Patra (BJD), M Thambidurai (AIADMK) and Kanamedala R Kumar (TDP).The two Bills were passed in quick succession. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Second Amendment) Bill, 2023 seeks to reserve 33% seats in the state Assembly for women. The Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2023 seeks to give 33% reservation to women in the Puducherry Assembly. Lok Sabha has already passed the two Bills.

    As the Opposition continued to protest, Dhankhar said, “It is a very, very disturbing day. You all are members of the shouting brigade.”

  • Nitish can return to NDA anytime: Union Minister Ramdas Athawale

    Express News Service

    PATNA: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar could return to National Democratic Alliance (NDA) anytime, said Ramdas Athawale, Union Minister of State for social justice and empowerment. 

    Athawale, who was here to launch central welfare schemes, also urged Nitish not to attend the third round of meeting of Opposition leaders scheduled to be held in August in Maharashtra.

    The date of the meeting has not been announced so far.

    “Nitish hamare hain, hamare pass kabhi bhi aa sakte hain (Nitish is one among us and can return anytime),” Athawale, who is chief of the Republican Party of India (RPI) said.

    He said that Nitish’s absence was always felt within the NDA. Referring to the long association with Janata Dal (United) supremo, the union minister said that the latter is a good friend.

    “He has been part of the NDA for a long time. Why had he joined NDA when he had the intention of returning to the Opposition camp?” he asked.

    Athawale’s statement ahead of the third round of Opposition meeting assumed significance as Nitish was not happy with the happenings at the second meeting held in Bengaluru on July 17-18. Nitish, however, later clarified the question of being unhappy didn’t arise when his suggestions were honoured.

    The union minister said that Bihar would continue to get its share from the centre so far as development is concerned. Athawale lauded the works undertaken during the tenure of Nitish Kumar when he was part of the NDA.

    “Kafi acchha kaam hua hai. Hum ek din pahle Munger gaye the. Road kafi acchha ho gaya hai (Good works have been done. I had gone to Munger a day earlier. Roads are in good condition),” the union minister said.

    He also rubbished the allegation that non-BJP-ruled states were getting stepmotherly treatment from the centre. “This is wrong and baseless. Bihar is a non-BJP-ruled state now. But the Centre is providing all assistance to the present dispensation. Biharis are our own people,” he added.

    On being asked about JD(U) minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary’s allegation that Bihar was not getting its due share from centre, Athawale said that he (Choudhary) is saying so because of political reasons.

    “JD(U) is not a part of NDA now. That’s why its leaders are making allegations against the central government. Why didn’t they say so when they were part of the ruling NDA in Bihar?” he asked.

    PATNA: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar could return to National Democratic Alliance (NDA) anytime, said Ramdas Athawale, Union Minister of State for social justice and empowerment. 

    Athawale, who was here to launch central welfare schemes, also urged Nitish not to attend the third round of meeting of Opposition leaders scheduled to be held in August in Maharashtra.

    The date of the meeting has not been announced so far.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “Nitish hamare hain, hamare pass kabhi bhi aa sakte hain (Nitish is one among us and can return anytime),” Athawale, who is chief of the Republican Party of India (RPI) said.

    He said that Nitish’s absence was always felt within the NDA. Referring to the long association with Janata Dal (United) supremo, the union minister said that the latter is a good friend.

    “He has been part of the NDA for a long time. Why had he joined NDA when he had the intention of returning to the Opposition camp?” he asked.

    Athawale’s statement ahead of the third round of Opposition meeting assumed significance as Nitish was not happy with the happenings at the second meeting held in Bengaluru on July 17-18. Nitish, however, later clarified the question of being unhappy didn’t arise when his suggestions were honoured.

    The union minister said that Bihar would continue to get its share from the centre so far as development is concerned. Athawale lauded the works undertaken during the tenure of Nitish Kumar when he was part of the NDA.

    “Kafi acchha kaam hua hai. Hum ek din pahle Munger gaye the. Road kafi acchha ho gaya hai (Good works have been done. I had gone to Munger a day earlier. Roads are in good condition),” the union minister said.

    He also rubbished the allegation that non-BJP-ruled states were getting stepmotherly treatment from the centre. “This is wrong and baseless. Bihar is a non-BJP-ruled state now. But the Centre is providing all assistance to the present dispensation. Biharis are our own people,” he added.

    On being asked about JD(U) minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary’s allegation that Bihar was not getting its due share from centre, Athawale said that he (Choudhary) is saying so because of political reasons.

    “JD(U) is not a part of NDA now. That’s why its leaders are making allegations against the central government. Why didn’t they say so when they were part of the ruling NDA in Bihar?” he asked.

  • 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

  • NDA will secure over 50 per cent of votes in 2024 Lok Sabha elections, says PM Modi

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will secure over 50 per cent of the total votes polled in next year’s Lok Sabha elections.

    Addressing a meeting of the NDA in the national capital, which came hours after 26 Opposition parties held their second unity meeting in Bengaluru on Tuesday, PM Modi said, “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, they 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 stated further that the NDA has always put the country over selfish political interests, adding that the abuse of rivals has come to be the identity of the Opposition parties.

    “In politics, there can be competitiveness, not enmity. We have always kept India above all political interests. It is the NDA government that conferred the Bharat Ratna on Pranab-da (former President and senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee). We also conferred the Padma award on Sharad Pawar, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Muzaffar Baig and many other leaders, who were not with us,” PM Modi said.

    ALSO READ | ‘INDIA’: Opposition alliance gets a name, to set up 11-member coordination committee 

    Further, in a veiled at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remark at an event in London earlier this year, questioning why the “defenders of democracies” were unmoved over the prevailing state of affairs in India, PM Modi said even when the NDA was in the Opposition, it never insulted the people’s mandate or never took help of foreign powers to destablize the ruling governments. 

    “Even when we were in the Opposition, we always preached and practised positive politics. We unearthed scams of previous governments but never questioned or insulted the mandate of the people. We never took the help of foreign powers against the ruling governments. We never created hurdles to development schemes meant for the welfare of the country and its people,” PM Modi said. 

    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.

    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will secure over 50 per cent of the total votes polled in next year’s Lok Sabha elections.

    Addressing a meeting of the NDA in the national capital, which came hours after 26 Opposition parties held their second unity meeting in Bengaluru on Tuesday, PM Modi said, “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, they 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 stated further that the NDA has always put the country over selfish political interests, adding that the abuse of rivals has come to be the identity of the Opposition parties.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “In politics, there can be competitiveness, not enmity. We have always kept India above all political interests. It is the NDA government that conferred the Bharat Ratna on Pranab-da (former President and senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee). We also conferred the Padma award on Sharad Pawar, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Muzaffar Baig and many other leaders, who were not with us,” PM Modi said.

    ALSO READ | ‘INDIA’: Opposition alliance gets a name, to set up 11-member coordination committee 

    Further, in a veiled at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remark at an event in London earlier this year, questioning why the “defenders of democracies” were unmoved over the prevailing state of affairs in India, PM Modi said even when the NDA was in the Opposition, it never insulted the people’s mandate or never took help of foreign powers to destablize the ruling governments. 

    “Even when we were in the Opposition, we always preached and practised positive politics. We unearthed scams of previous governments but never questioned or insulted the mandate of the people. We never took the help of foreign powers against the ruling governments. We never created hurdles to development schemes meant for the welfare of the country and its people,” PM Modi said. 

    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.

  • ‘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.

  • 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.

  • Assam: BJP-led NDA wins 12 of 22 seats in Deori autonomous council polls

    By PTI

    GUWAHATI: The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Thursday bagged 12 of the 22 seats in the Deori autonomous council elections, an official statement said.

    The saffron party won 11 seats while its ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) secured one, the statement issued by the office of the secretary of the Assam State Election Commission (ASEC) said.

    Opposition Congress managed to win two seats, while Independent candidates emerged victorious in eight constituencies after the completion of counting during the day, it said.

    An estimated 80 per cent of the 43,595 voters had exercised their franchise during the polling on Tuesday.

    The 22 constituencies are spread across six districts and four sub-divisions of other districts.

    Reacting to the poll results, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted: “The resounding victory of @BJP4Assam & allies in Deori Autonomous Council election revalidates popular trust in our Govt guided by vision of Adarniya PM Shri @narendramodi ji.”

    GUWAHATI: The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Thursday bagged 12 of the 22 seats in the Deori autonomous council elections, an official statement said.

    The saffron party won 11 seats while its ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) secured one, the statement issued by the office of the secretary of the Assam State Election Commission (ASEC) said.

    Opposition Congress managed to win two seats, while Independent candidates emerged victorious in eight constituencies after the completion of counting during the day, it said.

    An estimated 80 per cent of the 43,595 voters had exercised their franchise during the polling on Tuesday.

    The 22 constituencies are spread across six districts and four sub-divisions of other districts.

    Reacting to the poll results, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted: “The resounding victory of @BJP4Assam & allies in Deori Autonomous Council election revalidates popular trust in our Govt guided by vision of Adarniya PM Shri @narendramodi ji.”