India’s top opposition parties are gathering in Bengaluru for a two-day brainstorming session to strategize against the BJP in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The meeting will see leaders from 26 opposition parties discussing various matters, including issuing a joint declaration and fielding common candidates for the Lok Sabha seats. The session will begin with a dinner meeting hosted by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, followed by a formal meeting on Tuesday. The agenda for the talks, including the formation of subcommittees for drafting a common minimum program, organizing joint programs, and discussing seat-sharing arrangements, will be finalized during the discussions. The opposition leaders may also address the issue of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and propose reforms to the Election Commission. Additionally, they plan to suggest a name for the alliance.
Notable leaders attending the meeting include Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Congress Parliamentary party chairperson Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, and former chief ministers Uddhav Thackeray and Lalu Prasad.
The opposition meeting coincides with the NDA meeting convened by the ruling BJP-led coalition on July 18 in Delhi, where new allies are expected to join.
The BJP has criticized the opposition parties, accusing them of being a “divided lot” with no specific agenda other than defeating Prime Minister Narendra Modi. BJP President J P Nadda alleged that the proposed coalition is not a “Patriotic Democratic Alliance” but a “Protection of Dynasties Alliance.” The meeting also takes place amidst the split in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Sharad Pawar and the violent West Bengal panchayat polls, with the Congress and Left parties accusing the TMC government of oppression.
The opposition parties aim to chart out a joint agitational plan against BJP’s policies, particularly after the NCP split in Maharashtra. They also plan to address opposition unity and expose BJP’s alleged attempts to topple non-BJP-ruled states through governors. Leaders and sources emphasize the importance of the meeting in forging unity and taking on the BJP, but they acknowledge the need to resolve their differences.
Meanwhile, the BJP contends that the opposition is “fractured” and that the Congress central leadership contradicts the state units. They claim that the Congress has compromised the interests of its state units by striking deals with AAP and TMC without gaining anything in return. The BJP maintains that the opposition lacks a clear agenda, ideology, and leader, and their unity is based solely on their dislike for Prime Minister Modi.
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