Top leaders of Opposition events held deliberations right here on Friday to chalk out a roadmap for the formation of an anti-BJP entrance for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The assembly is being hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of the JD(U) and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD. As the host, Kumar presided over the assembly flanked on both facet by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad.
Sources mentioned greater than 30 leaders of 15 Opposition events participated within the assembly on the Bihar chief minister’s 1, Aney Marg, residence right here.
The assembly was being seen as a place to begin for the Opposition events to return collectively to tackle the Narendra Modi-led BJP, the sources mentioned. Therefore, a primary define and roadmap for Opposition unity are more likely to be deliberated upon with the contentious problem of seat sharing and management inquiries to be prevented for now, they mentioned.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, get together chief Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee (TMC), her Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab’s Bhagwant Mann (AAP), Tamil Nadu’s M Ok Stalin (DMK), Jharkhand’s Hemant Soren (JMM), Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav, Maharashtra’s former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena-UBT), and NCP president Sharad Pawar are among the many leaders attending the primary high-level Opposition assembly.
Leaders of the PDP, CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML), and the National Conference are additionally current on the assembly.
Sharing visuals from the assembly, Kharge, in a tweet in Hindi, mentioned, “Protecting the Constitution and democracy is our sole responsibility. Our meeting to give a new direction to the country.” A day earlier than the essential deliberations, fissures within the Opposition ranks got here to the fore with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) sources saying the get together will stroll out of the assembly if the Congress doesn’t promise its help in opposition to the Centre’s ordinance on the management of administrative companies in Delhi.
All eyes are on the assembly’s agenda and whether or not the Centre’s ordinance on the management of administrative companies within the nationwide capital could be a key a part of the discussions because the AAP desires.
Keeping playing cards near its chest, the Congress has to date saved its stand ambiguous as as to if it could help the AAP or not when the ordinance is put to check in Parliament by the BJP-led Centre.
Asked in regards to the ordinance problem and AAP’s ultimatum, Kharge, earlier than leaving for Patna on Friday morning, mentioned his get together would take a call on it earlier than Parliament’s Monsoon session and questioned why it was being talked about elsewhere when it was a matter that pertains to Parliament.
“Opposing or proposing it does not happen outside, it happens in Parliament. Before Parliament begins, all parties decide what issues they have to work on together. They know it and even their leaders come to our all-party meetings. I don’t know why is there so much publicity about it outside,” Kharge mentioned.
Ahead of the assembly, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, whereas addressing get together employees, mentioned all Opposition events are going to defeat the BJP within the 2024 normal elections unitedly.
Accusing the BJP of working to “divide India and spread hate and violence”, he asserted {that a} combat of ideologies is occurring in India.
“On one hand, there is the Congress’ ‘Bharat Jodo’ ideology and on the other, the BJP and RSS’ ‘Bharat Todo’ thinking,” Gandhi mentioned addressing get together employees and leaders on the get together workplace in Patna.
“You know that hate cannot be countered with hate. It can be defeated only with love. The Congress is working for uniting the country and spreading love,” he mentioned, including, “That is why we have come to Bihar because the DNA of the Congress is in Bihar.” “All Opposition parties have come here and together we are going to defeat the BJP,” Gandhi mentioned.
In Karnataka, the BJP leaders gave speeches and went in all places however the result’s there for all to see, the previous Congress chief mentioned.
“As soon as the Congress stood united, the BJP disappeared in Karnataka. I am saying it from this stage that the BJP will be nowhere in Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh and the Congress will win,” Gandhi claimed.
At the identical occasion, Kharge urged get together employees to put aside their variations and combat the 2024 normal elections unitedly, asserting that “if we win in Bihar, we will win the country”.
Before the assembly, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin dubbed the Opposition huddle a “war cry” in opposition to a “fascist and autocratic regime.” The Samajwadi Party is the one get together from Uttar Pradesh attending the assembly with BSP supremo Mayawati not being invited and Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary skipping the conclave attributable to a household programme.
Uttar Pradesh sends the utmost variety of 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha.
West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee, who arrived right here on Thursday night, met Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Yadav, former Bihar CM Rabri Devi, and Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav earlier.
Asked what is going to occur on the assembly, she advised reporters exterior Tejashwi Yadav’s residence on Thursday, “I cannot say anything now. We have come here as we will fight together, one-to-one (against the BJP). We will fight together like a family.”
