Bengaluru Opposition Meeting: Dinner Meeting Concludes, Leaders Leave Venue

The Opposition parties are all set to meet in Karnataka’s Bengaluru today and tomorrow to chalk out a strategy to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The invites for the meeting — conveyed by Congress — were sent out by the party’s president Mallikarjun Kharge. He invited all the major as well as smaller parties to attend the meet and put up a united front against the BJP.

Top leaders of 26 opposition parties are expected to attend the meeting.

This is the second Opposition meeting since the first one was held in Patna on June 23 this year. The meeting was attended by 15 parties in total.

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Leaders on Opposition Meeting at Bengaluru

Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar on Monday spoke on opposition leaders’ dinner meeting in Bengaluru. “Meeting has gone well as expected by the country,” he said.

The meeting started with a good signal and it would be the end of BJP in 2024, said Congress leader BK Hariprasad at an opposition leaders’ dinner meeting in Bengaluru.

On being asked about the NDA meeting scheduled to be held tomorrow in Delhi, he says, “That would be National Disaster Alliance”.

Opposition Meeting To Begin with Kharge’s Address

The two-day Opposition Meet in Bengaluru will begin on Monday with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s address. Top leaders of 26 opposition parties are expected to attend the meeting.

Delhi CM Kejriwal, Uddhav and Aditya Thackeray Arrive in Bengaluru

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal along with his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann arrived in Bengaluru.

His arrival was followed by Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren on Monday arrived in Bengaluru for the joint Opposition meeting.

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray along with his son Aaditya Thackeray arrived in Bengaluru for the joint Opposition meeting.

BJP Takes On Arvind Kejriwal For Attending Opposition Meet

“Arvind Kejriwal has not done anything except levelling allegations on others, while he remains missing in action in Delhi. Today, when Delhi is facing rising Yamuna once again, he is in Bengaluru vacationing and doing politics,” BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Kejriwal attending the opposition meeting.

Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Mamata Banerjee Arrive in Bengaluru

Congress veterans Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi along with Party President Mallikarjun Kharge arrived at Bengaluru ahead of the joint Opposition meeting. He was received by Karnataka CM Siddharamaiah.

West Bengal CM and TMC leader Mamata Banerjee and party MP Abhishek Banerjee arrived in Bengaluru for the two-day joint Opposition meeting. Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar received them.

ED Raid On Ponmudy, A Political Vendetta: KC Venugopal, Kharge

Both the Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal and party President Mallikarjun Kharge have condemned the ED raid on Tamil Nadu Education Minister K Ponmudy. They have said that this raid just before the opposition meeting, is a move under vendetta politics by BJP.

Kharge tweeted that all like-minded parties are united against BJP’s vendetta politics.

Talking about the agenda of the opposition party, Venugopal said, “All these subjects are a matter of debate…We will soon take a decision on it that whether a new name should come up or not…Other parties outside UPA have also attended this meeting…We are working on it.”

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut Says Discuss EVM Machines, Seat Sharing

The Uddhav Thackeray faction MP Sanjay Raut has said that they will discuss many things in the meeting including EVM machines, Lok Sabha seat sharing, and the name of the front.

HD Kumaraswamy Says JDS Has Not Received Any Invites

Ahead of the Opposition meeting today, JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy says that he has not gotten any invites either for the opposition or the NDA alliance. “Opposition has never considered JDS a part of them,” HDK added.

He called any talks of JDS joining NDA premature, adding that, the JDS wants to focus on strengthening the party

Preparations Take Place Ahead of The Opposition Meeting Today

Visuals show that a hoarding of leaders attending the Opposition meeting today has been put up along the streets of Bengaluru.

The two-day brainstorming session to set and strategize a plan of action against the BJP will begin today.

NCP Leader Sharad Pawar to Attend Meeting on July 18

It is confirmed that NCP leader Sharad Pawar and the party’s working president Supriya Sule will be attending the Opposition meeting on its second day, July 18.

NCP Leader Sharad Pawar to Skip The Meet

Maharashtra’s former Chief Minister Sharad Pawar will skip the opposition meeting. He will be meeting party MLAs in Mumbai.

Previously, the split in Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and his nephew Ajit Pawar’s switch to the Eknath Shinde-BJP coalition in Maharashtra, was a major development around the issue.

However, parties like TMC and the Congress have shown their support for Sharad Pawar and have said that the opposition’s unity has been further strengthened.

Such Meetings Have No ‘Political Meaning’: BJP Leader Basavaraj Bommai 

Ahead of the Opposition meeting in Bengaluru, BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai has said that such meetings have no political meeting, adding that any number of meetings might happen but they will have no impact.

Bommai said that the only reason for the Opposition to unite is to defeat PM Modi and the BJP. He attributed the nation’s swift economic recovery after Covid-19 to PM Modi, adding that, this has led to the Prime Minister receiving international recognition.

Sonia Gandhi to Attend the Meet

Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi is also expected to attend a dinner meeting on July 17. She might also attend the more formal meeting on the second day, with in detail strategizing plans.

AAP to Attend The Opposition Meet in Bengaluru

AAP was the latest party to confirm its presence on Sunday. This move comes after Congress backed Kejriwal against the Delhi Ordinance. Gaining the support of key parties, including Congress, was a big boost for Kejriwal.

Considering the fulfilment of its key demand, the Arvind Kejriwal-led party arrived at this decision after holding a crucial meeting of its political affairs committee (PAC) on Sunday.

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, who is also a member of the PAC, told the media, “The Congress party has cleared its stand today. We welcome the decision. AAP, under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal, will participate in the meeting of like-minded parties on the 17th and 18th.”

Who All Can Be Seen Attending The Meet

Other than AAP, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray and MP Sanjay Raut will also be in attendance at the meeting.

“This is a crucial meeting,” Raut said, reporting.

Rahul Gandhi is also expected to attend the meeting in Bengaluru.

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee along with TMC General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee will also participate in the meeting.

RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav confirmed his presence at the meeting as well.

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, and Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, will also travel to Bengaluru for the Opposition meeting.

Eight New Parties Will Be in Attendance

Eight other parties, who were not a part of the first meeting in Patna, will also participate in the deliberations against BJP.

These parties are; Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), Kongu Desa Makkal Katchi (KDMK), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), All India Forward Bloc, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Kerala Congress (Joseph) and Kerala Congress (Mani).

The First Opposition Meeting in Patna

The first meeting, attended by 15 parties, was hosted by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. All the participating parties had agreed to fight the Lok Sabha polls together.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi were among the top leaders attending the meeting.

(with PTI inputs)