Proposed Oppn front likely to be named ‘Patriotic Democratic Alliance’

D Raja said, “We can say the new alliance could be named Patriotic Democratic Alliance (PDA).Here, I must stress I am talking only in generic terms, since we have not taken a final decision on it. Our primary objective is to defeat the BJP-led NDA and all the opposition parties have clarity on this.”

The name of the proposed Opposition front to face off the BJP in the 2024 parliamentary polls could be “Patriotic Democratic Alliance” or PDA, and a final decision on this would be taken at the next meeting of constituent parties in Shimla next month, said people familiar with the matter.

CPI leader D Raja. (HT)

Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary D Raja said this while addressing party workers in Patna on Saturday, a day after top leaders of 15 parties met in Patna in their bid to forge Opposition unity, according to people privy to what transpired at the CPI meeting.

When contacted, D Raja said, “We can say the new alliance could be named Patriotic Democratic Alliance (PDA).Here, I must stress I am talking only in generic terms, since we have not taken a final decision on it. Our primary objective is to defeat the BJP-led NDA and all the opposition parties have clarity on this.”

“In Tamil Nadu, there is the Secular Democratic Front whereas in Bihar, we have the Mahagatbandhan. So, we will have a name which would share our commitment as a combined Opposition,” he said.

Incidentally, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, during her address during the joint press conference after the Opposition unity meet in Patna, had insisted that “they should not be called ‘opposition’ but “patriotic” as they were all “citizens of the country”.

Meanwhile, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leaders, aware of discussions at the meeting, said there has been no discussion on the name of the new alliance and all these matters would be taken for discussion at the Shimla meeting, likely on July 10-12.

“We can say the meeting was very fruitful,” RJD MP Manoj Jha said, when asked about the name of the proposed front.

Bihar Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh could not be reached for comment.

On June 23, top leaders of 15 parties opposed to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), including Congress, RJD, JD-U, three major Left parties, the DMK, NCP, PDP, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), had attended the mega meet on the call of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar at his official bungalow in Patna where they resolved to stay united and collectively fight against the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.