Opposition meet highlights: 26-party alliance to be called as ‘INDIA’, next meeting in Mumbai

"There are two sides to everything - negative and positive...The meeting is to discuss the current situation in the country created by the present Government," says Jharkhand CM & JMM executive president Hemant Soren

'The agenda of the opposition meeting is not the welfare of the people but to remove PM Modi. Around 26 parties have attended the Opposition meeting but we in NDA have around leaders from 38 parties. Our agenda is to make Narendra Modi PM again along with the development of the country. We will win the 2024 Lok Sabha elections with more than 350 seats'', says Union Minister Dr Ramdas Athawale

Amid the ongoing meeting, RJP supremo Lalu Yadav said that there is a need to save the democracy in the country. "This meeting is important for the country. We have to save the country and our democracy," he added.

Leaders from 26 opposition parties and 38 National Democratic Alliance partners are meeting in Bengaluru and New Delhi, respectively to discuss strategy ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Read more

"Congress insulted Nitish Kumar as soon as he reached Bengaluru. Congress Party made it clear that Nitish Kumar is an unstable Prime Ministerial candidate and cannot be trusted. There is no conflict within the NDA. We will win all 40 seats in Bihar and NDA will win more than 400 seats in the Lok Sabha elections": Samrat Choudhary, President of Bihar unit of the BJP on Chirag Paswan joining the NDA & posters attacking Nitish Kumar in Bengaluru

The Congress is not interested in power or the post of prime minister, party president Mallikarjun Kharge said on Tuesday as leaders of 26 opposition parties got together here to discuss their strategy ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

In his inaugural address on the second day of the key opposition meeting, he said, "Our intention in this meeting is not to gain power for ourselves. It is to protect our Constitution, democracy, secularism and social justice".

He admitted to differences among opposition parties at the state level but noted that these are not ideological.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will be meeting on Tuesday in New Delhi with 38 political parties having confirmed their presence. According to the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), among the 38 parties, there are some that have left NDA and rejoined the alliance “to strengthen India” and the saffron party remains committed to its “ideology”.

"BJP convened another meeting of 38 parties the same day (as the opposition meeting in Bengaluru). I challenge if they can name these political parties. They are mostly breakaway groups," said CPI(M) leader Mohammed Salim on NDA meeting.

‘It will be a constructive meeting. Its outcome will be good for the country’: said West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee as opposition meet was underway in Bengaluru.

"It's important that a democratic government is formed that follows constitutional values. We are working for it. Today we will discuss and find a way," said RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary.

"It's important we put up united stand against everything going wrong. The Constitution (is) eroded, secular fabric undermined," said former J&K CM Omar Abdullah.

‘PM Modi made complete mess of almost every sector in his 10-year rule. Time to get rid of him,’ said Arvind Kejriwal at the opposition meet in Bengaluru. 

On the eve of the mega meeting hosted by Congress, the party stated that it will oppose the ordinance on Delhi administrative services in Parliament, a key condition put by the Aam Aadmi Party to attend the talks.

"The meeting is important to save the country and its people. Two-third of India's population is against the BJP. We are all united to remove the BJP," says Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in Bengaluru. 

"We all have come together to save the country's democracy, constitution and diversity," said Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav. RJD supremo Lalu Yadav echoed the same statement as his son.

Opposition Meet in Bengaluru Live updates: "The way our Constitution and democracy are being disobeyed, all the opposition parties need to come together to save the idea of India," says PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti in Bengaluru, where the mega opposition meeting is being held today.

"Attending the joint meeting of opposition parties in Bangalore…and various opposition dignitaries. On this occasion, all the present have decided that ‘We Will Fight and We Will Win’, NCP boss Sharad Pawar wrote on Twitter while his party tackles a split led by his nephew Ajit Pawar.

The issue of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) was discussed on Monday and further talks would take place on Tuesday.

Discussions on state-wise seat-sharing and ironing out differences among regional outfits are on the agenda, they said, adding the issue of Manipur was discussed and the need for sending an all-party delegation to the violence-hit state stressed upon.

Talks of unity notwithstanding, differences among opposition parties, especially those who have been traditional rivals, remain and reconciling political interests will be a challenging task.

On PM Modi's jibe on Opposition, BJP's Shehzad Poonawalla says, "...Those who have no mission or vision but have their own commission, corruption and obsession and family profession have come together. Such dynasts and corrupt have just one slogan - bhrashtachar ka hai bhaichara, isliye jinko kal tak dete theyy gaali, wo aaj unko lag raha hai pyaara...This PDA is 'Parivarik Dalon ka Alliance'...Their shop sells only corruption and dynasty..."

On posters being put up against Nitish Kumar in Bengaluru, where the mega opposition meeting is being held today, Bihar BJP chief Samrat Choudhary said, "The state, which is ruled by Congress, has called him unstable.”

Earlier today, posters blaming the Bihar Chief Minister for the Sultanganj bridge collapse in his state surfaced at a key traffic junction ahead of the Opposition parties meet. Police swung into action soon after learning about the posters put up at 'Chalukya Circle', just a stone's throw from the venue of the meeting which is being attended by Nitish Kumar. 

One of the posters read: “The unstable Prime Ministerial contender. Bangalore rolls out the Red Carpet for Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. First date of Sultanganj bridge collapse - April 2022. Second date of Sultanganj bridge collapse - June 2023.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched an all-out attack on the opposition parties and alleged the 26 non-BJP parties have gathered in Bengaluru to promote corruption.

The PM was addressing a gathering after inaugurating the new Integrated Terminal Building at Veer Savarkar International Airport at Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. On the occasion, Modi also took jibe at the opposition parties, using words like “jamat” and ‘kunba’ and urged people to stay alert. Read more

“I had already said in Chennai, on MK Stalin’s birthday, that Congress is not interested in power or the post of Prime Minister. Our intention in this meeting is not to gain power for ourselves. It is to protect our Constitution, Democracy, Secularism and Social Justice,” Kharge said in a statement at the Opposition meet.

"Every institution is being turned into a weapon against the opposition. CBI, ED, and Income Tax are routinely used. False criminal cases are filed against our leaders so that they get caught in the legal process. Constitutional authorities are used to suspend our MPs. MLAs are being blackmailed or bribed to move to BJP and topple governments," said Kharge, according to ANI.

"We are 26 parties here. Together, we are in government in 11 states today. The BJP did not get 303 seats by itself. It used the votes of its allies and came to power and then discarded them. Today, the BJP president and their leaders are running from state to state to patch up with their old allies," said Kharge

“We are aware that at the state level, there are differences between some of us. These differences are not ideological. These differences are not so big that we cannot put them behind us for the sake of the common man & middle class, for youth, for the poor, the Dalit, the adivasis & the minorities whose rights are being crushed silently behind the scenes,” said Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge at the joint Opposition meeting in Bengaluru, according to ANI.

All political parties were asked at the dinner meeting on Monday night to suggest names for the alliance and the same would be discussed and consensus would be arrived at during the deliberations, news agency PTI reported.

The parties are also likely to issue a joint declaration and finalise a committee for the functioning of the grouping and the name of Sonia Gandhi as chairperson of the new grouping is also suggested, the report added.

Sonia Gandhi was the chairperson of UPA 1 and 2, which remained in government from 2004 to 2014.

Karnataka | Opposition leaders of 26 parties gather in Bengaluru on the second day of the joint Opposition meeting.

The Opposition meeting also comes in the backdrop of the split in the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the West Bengal panchayat polls, which saw widespread violence that claimed many lives with state units of the Congress and Left parties accusing the TMC government of oppression.

The first meeting was held in Patna, Bihar, on June 23, with as many as 32 Opposition leaders.

In his letter addressed to top Opposition party leaders, Kharge said it is important to continue discussions and build on the momentum they have created in Patna.

“The meeting was a great success as we were able to discuss various important issues that threaten our democratic polity and came to a unanimous agreement on unitedly fighting the next General Elections,” Kharge said.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar, who had skipped day 1 of the Opposition huddle, and DMK General Secretary D Raja arrived for the second day of the joint meeting in Bengaluru, Karnataka.