With 24 "like-minded parties" coming together, the focus is expected to be on strategies to take on the BJP at the Central and state levels.
Published Jul 16, 2023 | 10:04 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 17, 2023 | 6:43 AM
Congress leaders including Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah inspected the arrangements for the second joint meeting of Opposition at a private hotel on Saturday (supplied)
Opposition parties led by the Congress are convening for their second joint meeting in Bengaluru for two days from 17 June.
With leaders from 24 “like-minded parties” slated to come together, the focus is expected to be on strategies to challenge the ruling BJP at the Central as well as the state levels.
Several key issues are slated to be discussed in the meeting. The agenda is expected to include discussions on the process to decide state-by-state seat-sharing among Opposition parties.
Agreeing upon a name for the proposed Opposition front, a joint secretariat for the alliance, a subcommittee to draft a Common Minimum Programme, including communication, and a subcommittee to draft joint political events like rallies and a discussion on EVMs are among the topics expected to be taken up during the meeting.
The meeting will take place at the Taj West End Hotel, located in the heart of Bengaluru.
The event will reportedly commence with a dinner hosted by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, followed by formal discussions the next day.
Notably, former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi is expected to join the gathering, demonstrating the party’s active involvement.
As the Opposition leaders convene, all eyes are on the discussions and strategies that would be formulated to mount a formidable challenge to the BJP in the upcoming elections.
The first joint meeting of the Opposition to fight against the BJP in the forthcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections was held in Patna on 23 June.
The meeting was hosted by Janata Dal (United) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. A total of 15 political parties took part in it.
The second joint meeting of the opposition front is being hosted by the Congress, and at least 24 like-minded parties are likely to participate in it.
The Congress’ Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi; the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin; Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren; Shiva Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray; Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar, Janata Dal (United) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar; Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav; the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference’s Omar Abdullah; the Communist Party of India (CPI), and the All India Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee are expected to take part in the meeting.
Shiva Sena MP Sanjay Raut told ANI: “I, along with the party chief Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aditya Thackeray, will participate in this joint meeting of the Opposition. This is a very important meeting.”
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar told reporters in Bengaluru: “The majority of the Opposition leaders are likely to participate in the meeting. I am also confident that Sonia Gandhi will also take part. AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge has requested her to participate in the meeting.”
In a bid to send a message to the BJP that the Opposition was united to take it on in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress has also invited many small parties for the second joint meeting.
Other parties — including the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) — have also been invited for the second joint meeting.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) put an end to the speculations over its participation in the joint meeting by announcing that it would also join hands with the Congress-led Opposition cadre.
The AAP earlier said it would take a call on attending such meetings until receiving public support from the Congress in the Rajya Sabha regarding the Union government’s ordinance governing Delhi administration.
The Congress on Sunday issued a statement announcing support for the ordinance.
After the AAP’s Political Affairs Committee meeting held in Delhi on Sunday, party MP Raghav Chadha announced that the party would participate in the second joint-opposition meeting.
Chadha told reporters in Delhi: “The Congress today made its stand clear on the Delhi ordinance, and it has opposed it. We will welcome the decision of the party.”
#WATCH | “Congress party today made its stand clear and said that it will oppose the Delhi ordinance,” says AAP MP Raghav Chadha after the meeting of the party’s Political Affairs Committee.
AAP will join the joint opposition meeting in Bengaluru on July 17-18. pic.twitter.com/gFyMZWM0GZ
— ANI (@ANI) July 16, 2023
He noted: “Those who defend the Delhi ordinance are anti-nationals. Those who love the country will oppose this ordinance. The party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal sought support from various political parties to oppose this ordinance.”
The AAP leader continued: “Many big political parties have also announced their support to the AAP. From the Trinamool Congress to the RJD to the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) to the DMK to the Shiv Sena (UBT), they have announced their support. The Congress made its stand clear today.”
Thus, Kejriwal is expected to fly to Bengaluru to take part in the joint meeting.
A day before the second joint meeting of the Opposition, the Congress extended its support to the AAP government in Delhi by opposing the Union government’s ordinance.
The Central government ordinance curtailed the state government’s powers over bureaucracy in the National Capital Territory.
In the Congress’ parliamentary strategy group meeting on Monday, the grand old party decided to oppose the Delhi ordinance. It announced its decision on Sunday afternoon.
The Congress’ Media and Publicity chairman Pawan Khera told ANI: “We have always been opposing any attempt to weaken the federal structure of our Constitution. Ever since Narendra Modi became the prime minister, he has been attacking the federal structure of our country.”
#WATCH | “Congress party will oppose the Centre’s ordinance on Delhi government,” says party leader Pawan Khera. pic.twitter.com/lOaLwK6Jba
— ANI (@ANI) July 16, 2023
He added: “Whether it’s in Tamil Nadu or West Bengal or Delhi, the Congress is quick to oppose attempts to weaken the federal structure. Likewise, on the Delhi ordinance, the party chaired a high-level meeting and decided to oppose it.”
The Janata Dal (Secular), a former ally of the Congress in Karnataka, has announced it will not participate in the joint meeting.
The decision fuelled speculations of the regional party’s potential inclination towards forging a coalition with the BJP for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
JD(S) leader and former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy recently stated that the party would not be attending the meeting, citing a lack of invitation as the reason.
This development raised questions about the party’s political strategy and added an element of uncertainty to the already dynamic political landscape.
