The war of words between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre and opposition parties has intensified ahead of a key meeting of opposition leaders in Patna on June 23. While the BJP and its allies downplayed the significance of the meeting, calling it opportunistic rather than ideological, opposition parties are seeing it as a starting point for mobilising anti-BJP parties in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
What opposition parties said
Amid speculations around the discussion of the seat-sharing formula, Bihar minister Vijay Chaudhary said that tomorrow's meeting won't be the last and such deliberations can be held later.
"This is the first meeting of the opposition, not the last. Tomorrow, all the parties will discuss how to contest together (in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls). The seat-sharing formula can be derived later," Chaudhary said.
HT reported that a seat-sharing formula based on the performance of a party in the past three elections is likely to be proposed by the Janata Dal (United) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) during the crucial meeting.
Samajwadi Party spokesperson Sunil Singh said that the opposition will find a way to end the BJP rule, and soon a government will be formed in Delhi that will be democratic, socialist and respects the Constitution.
What BJP and its allies said
BJP leader Sushil Modi, who was Nitish's deputy in the previous NDA government in Bihar, said that Lalu Prasad Yadav's party doesn't have a single seat in Lok Sabha and challenging a party with 303 seats.
{{/usCountry}}BJP leader Sushil Modi, who was Nitish's deputy in the previous NDA government in Bihar, said that Lalu Prasad Yadav's party doesn't have a single seat in Lok Sabha and challenging a party with 303 seats.
{{/usCountry}}“Bihar will give 40 out of 40 Lok Sabha seats to PM Modi,” said Sushil Modi.
He asserted that RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar are no longer capable to transfer votes, claiming that the opposition parties are joining hands only out of fear of imprisonment on corruption charges.
BJP leader Ram Kadam said that the internal tussles and “a mindset of defeat is evident from the statements of their leaders.”
"People have decided that Narendra Modi will become PM again in 2024," Kadam said.
HAM President Santosh Kumar Suman said, “Everyone (opposition parties) have different ideology, they are all busy in brokering deals, but they won't be able to work together. We, however, are with the NDA.”
Leaders start arriving in Patna
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her Delhi counterpart and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav, Maharashtra's former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and NCP president Sharad Pawar are among the leaders expected to attend the first high-level opposition meeting.
Odisha chief minister Navin Patnaik and his Telangana counterpart K Chandrashekhar Rao have decided to skip the crucial meeting. Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati has not been invited to the opposition meeting, with JD(U) chief spokesperson K C Tyagi saying “We have invited those parties that are willing to fight against the BJP in 2024.”
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti arrived in Patna on Thursday to take part in the opposition meeting, a day ahead of the conclave. She did not take questions from journalists at the airport and went straight to the guest house where invitees are being put up.
(With agency inputs)