New Delhi, July 16: Top leaders of 26 opposition parties are expected to attend the two-day brainstorming session in Bengaluru from Monday where they are likely to start work on a common minimum programme and announce a joint agitational plan to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
According to sources, the leaders are likely to hold discussions on issuing a joint declaration and move forward on their proposal of putting up common opposition candidates in a majority of the Lok Sabha seats.
The agenda for the talks would be finalised during discussions before a dinner meeting on Monday evening, they said.
There is a proposal to set up a subcommittee for drafting a common minimum programme and communication points for the Opposition alliance for the 2024 general elections, the sources said.
Besides, the sources said, the plan is also to set up a subcommittee for chalking out the joint programme of parties that includes rallies, conventions and agitations.
A plan to discuss the process for deciding seat sharing on a state-to-state basis is also on the table. The opposition leaders may also discuss the issue of EVM and suggest reforms to the Election Commission, the sources said.
The opposition leaders also plan to suggest a name for the alliance.
On the eve of the meeting hosted by it, the Congress 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.
“Today, the Congress party cleared its position against Delhi Ordinance. We welcome the announcement. Along with this, AAP will attend the opposition meet in Bengaluru,” AAP leader Raghav Chadha said.
Fifteen parties attended the last meeting for opposition unity hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna on June 23. “This time we are expecting leaders of 26 parties,” a source said. Sources said the MDMK, KDMK, VCK, RSP, Forward Bloc, IUML, Kerala Congress (Joseph) and Kerala Congress (Mani) are among the political parties that will join the second opposition meeting. Besides, the Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) of Krishna Patel and Tamil Nadu’s Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) led by M H Jawahirullah are likely to join the front after an invite was sent to them too. Congress Parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi is also likely to attend the meeting this time.
Other top leaders include Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Bihar Chief Minister and JDU leader Nitish Kumar, DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, JMM leader and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, besides former chief ministers Uddhav Thackeray and Lalu Prasad. The Opposition meeting coincides with the NDA meeting convened on July 18 in Delhi, where some new allies are likely to join the ruling BJP-led coalition. (PTI)
