Next Opposition meet in Bengaluru on 13-14 July: Sharad Pawar

On the UCC debate, he said the NCP would make its stand clear after assessing the suggestions and demands of various communities.

But before that, reservation should be given to women in Assemblies and the Lok Sabha, which is a long-pending demand, the senior leader said.

On Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ claims about Pawar being privy to the BJP’s plans to form government in Maharashtra along with a group of NCP MLAs led by Ajit Pawar in 2019, the senior Pawar said Fadnavis should focus on women’s security in the state instead of making such comments.

Manipur “is burning”, but the Modi government at the Centre was not taking any steps to bring the situation under control, the NCP chief said.

Also read: Opposition parties chalk out roadmap for a coalition

Previous Opposition meet 

On 23 June, as many as 17 Opposition parties came together for the first time in Independent India and resolved to fight the Lok Sabha elections together.

At the meeting, they said the resolution was meant to defeat the BJP and work with flexibility by setting aside their differences.

Leaders of political parties — including the Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Shiv Sena (UBT), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Samajwadi Party (SP), National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML), JD(U), and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) — participated in the meeting.

After arriving at a consensus, Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar said the leaders would meet in the next few days to give a final shape to their plan of fighting together.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced that the next meeting of the Opposition leaders would be held in Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh, in July.

“We have decided to prepare a common agenda and will take decisions in the next meeting on how to move forward and will have to evolve separate plans for every state and we will work together to dethrone the BJP at the Centre,” he said.

Also read: MK Stalin’s conference could lead to a united Opposition

BJP retorts

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on 23 June said that the Opposition parties’ unity was nearly impossible and they would face drubbing in the next Lok Sabha polls.

Shah said, “A photo session is happening in Patna. All the opposition leaders have come together on a single platform to convey a message that they will challenge the BJP, the NDA, and Modi.”

He added: “All I want to say to these opposition leaders is that your unity is nearly impossible and even if it gets real, please come in front of the people as in 2024, Modi’s return with 300-plus seats is confirmed.”

(With PTI inputs)