15 Oppn Parties ‘Agreed’ to Fight 2024 LS Polls Together at Big Patna Huddle; Next Meet in July

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday said all 15 parties opposed to the BJP that took part in the meeting convened in Patna have “agreed to fight the Lok Sabha elections together”. The next Opposition meeting will be hosted by Congress and will take place in July, he said.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee and NCP Chief Sharad Pawar were among the top figures from a total of 15 parties opposed to the BJP who attended a meeting convened in Patna by Bihar Chief Minister to formulate a joint strategy ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha polls.

Party leaders will release a statement signed by all 15 opposition parties that had attended the meeting.

Congress to Host Next Meeting in Shimla in July

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced that the next meeting of the Opposition parties is scheduled to take place in Shimla on July 12, adding the dates are tentative at the moment.

“All the leaders have decided to fight together and to further strengthen this unity, we are planning to meet again on July 12 in Shimla,” he said. The purpose of the meeting will be to collectively establish a common agenda and strategise the way forward, Kharge said. “We will devise strategies for each state,” he added.

“We will work together to make this unity stronger so that we succeed in defeating the BJP. This united front encompasses the entire country, stretching from Kashmir to Kanyakumari,” he said.

TMC leader Derek O’Brien had confirmed the next meeting in Shimla in a tweet stating, “We are all united. We will work together for 2024. We will meet again soon in Shimla. Four hours together. It’s only just begun. Much to look forward to.”

Opposition to Unite While Safeguarding Their Ideology: Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi also spoke at the presser and said the Bihar chief minister had graciously hosted a lunch for them, and they had the opportunity to savour various delicacies. He expressed concerns about the “assault on institutions and democracy” and said “this is an ideological war” in which they stand united. “The Opposition will collaborate with flexibility while safeguarding their ideology,” he said.

“In the next meeting, we plan to delve deeper into the matters at hand,” he said while asserting “that the process of opposition unity has begun.”

During the meeting, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal raised discuss the ordinance issue, and according to sources, there was no discussion about seat sharing.

Widespread Discontent Among Common People Towards BJP: Pawar

NCP chief Sharad Pawar said that there is widespread discontent among the common people towards the BJP. “We have decided to go ahead and work together to bring about a change in the country’s environment.”

PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti also remarked, “The attack on secularism and democracy has originated from Kashmir. Democracy is being undermined. Though we may not be as strong in Kashmir, we will not permit Gandhi’s country to transform into Godse’s nation.”

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray declared, “The country is united, and we will strive to maintain its integrity. We will actively protest against those who attempt to suppress it.”

Banerjee Outlines Three Key Resolutions

TMC Chief Mamata Banerjee expressed her satisfaction with the meeting, attended by current and former Chief Ministers, acknowledging the presence of political veteran Lalu Prasad and senior leaders such as Sharad Pawar, Akhilesh Yadav, Rahul Gandhi, and others. “Whatever starts in Patna emerges as a Jana Andolan,” she said.

“We had multiple meetings in Delhi, but they did not yield fruitful results. That’s why I suggested starting from Patna,” she stated.

Banerjee outlined three key resolutions: the unity among the parties, the collective fight against BJP’s dictatorship, their unjust laws, and political vendetta. She emphasised that this fight should not be branded solely as an “Opposition battle” but rather as a “fight against the BJP.”

The West Bengal Chief Minister also attacked the BJP over its alleged misuse of central agencies and the recent issue of Governor C V Ananda Bose organising ‘Foundation Day’ without the state’s knowledge for political gains and promoting a narrative favoured by the saffron camp.

She strongly criticised the BJP for allegedly misusing central agencies and raised concerns over the recent incident where Governor C V Ananda Bose organized a ‘Foundation Day’ event without the state’s knowledge

“Raj Bhavan has become an alternative government. They organized Foundation Day for our state without consulting us. When we oppose them, they employ the ED and CBI against us,” she added. “They send lawyers to court and falsely implicate us in various cases.”

However, Mamata Banerjee highlighted that the government remains silent on issues such as unemployment, the welfare of the common people, economic devastation, atrocities against Dalits, and violence against women. She criticized the government for failing to allocate funds for housing, infrastructure development, and making arbitrary appointments in universities.

“We are ready to shed blood, if necessary, but we will protect our people. If the BJP comes to power again, we will witness the end of elections,” she asserted. “The BJP may want to rewrite history, but history will be saved from Bihar,” she concluded.

Modi Distributing Sandalwood in America: Lalu’s Jibe

Lalu Prasad Yadav stated, “It has been decided that the next meeting will take place in Shimla, where we will further discuss our strategy.” Taking a jibe against Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is on a State visit to US, the RJD supremo said, “Modi Ji is distributing sandalwood in America, but his situation is going to deteriorate significantly (Bohut bura haal hone Wala hain Modi ji ka).”

NC leader Omar Abdullah said after the meeting that 17 parties from Kashmir to Kanyakumari have come together “not for power, but for principles”.

CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury said the main issue is to protect the character of our secular democratic country which the “BJP wants to change”.

CPI leader D Raja alleged that BJP’s nine-year rule has become “disastrous and detrimental” to the constitution of the country. “We are witnessing a communal-corporate nexus. People are suffering as a result. They are usurping the powers of states, putting the federal system in danger,” he said.

The discussions did not involve any contentious issues and it was decided that more meetings would be held in the future to discuss the common minimum program and other important matters, sources said.

Congress’ Silence on Delhi Ordinance Issue Raises Suspicions: AAP

Meanwhile the Aam Aadmi Party who had said its leaders would walk out of meeting of opposition leaders if the Congress does not promise its support against the Centre’s ordinance on Delhi administrative services, released a statement condemning the lack of support against the “Black Ordinance” at the Patna meet.

Members of the AAP leadership, including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who participated in the meeting, were notably missing at the joint press conference later.

“Today, during the like-minded party meeting in Patna, many parties urged the Congress to publicly denounce the Black Ordinance. However, the Congress refused to do so,” the statement read. “Congress’ silence raises suspicions about its real intentions,” it said.

“It’s high time that Congress decides whether it stands with the people of Delhi or the Modi government,” it added.

“A consultative meeting of various opposition parties was held in Bihar today to safeguard India’s democracy. All opposition parties share a common goal of defeating the BJP. However, we did not decide on who will be the prime ministerial candidate,” stated DMK President and Tamil Nadu CM, MK Stalin, upon returning to Chennai from the Opposition meeting in Patna.

Nafrat ko sirf mohabbat kaat sakti hai (only love can defeat hatred), Rahul Gandhi said on Friday as he arrived in Patna for the Opposition key “anti-BJP” meeting. He launched an attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party and added that they were “spreading hatred”, while Congress is working towards uniting people and spreading mohabbat (love).

The BJP, on the other hand, released a video mocking the Opposition. The video starts with “Inmein se kaun kisko pehchaanta nahi, par dil hai ki maanta nahi. Fark pehchanta hi nahi ki kahin PM banne ke armaan hain (for Rahul Gandhi) toh kahin PM banne ki dil-e-khwaish (for Nitish Kumar); kahin PM banne ki dabbi ichcha hai (for Mamata Banerjee) toh kahin PM banne ki chuppi tamanna (for K Chandrashekar Rao)…”

The Hindi message loosely translates into: They all know each other well and yet are trying to join hands. Each one of them considers himself/herself a prime ministerial candidate but they publicly say that they don’t want the top post; all they want is to dethrone Narendra Modi. Even as the Opposition shows “unity” through such meets, they all criticise each other in their respective states. The Indian voter, however, is very smart and knows the gimmicks. Hence, Narendra Modi alone is heavy on all.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah hit out against the meeting and called it a “photo session”. “A photo session is happening in Patna. All the opposition leaders have come together on a single platform to convey a message that they will challenge BJP, NDA and Modi (in 2024),” he said while adressing a rally in Jammu.

“All I want to say to these opposition leaders is that your unity is nearly impossible and even if it gets real, please come in front of the people as in 2024, Modi’s return with 300 plus seats is confirmed,” he said.

BJP Chief JP Nadda also hot out against parties joining hands with the Congress and termed it as a “strange” phenomena taking place in politics. “Strange things are happening in politics today. Leaders jailed by former PM Indira Gandhi have now joined hands with her grandson Rahul Gandhi.”

He said Prasad was jailed for 22 months, while Kumar was behind the bars for 20 months during the period.

“I saw Uddhav Thackeray reaching Patna to attend the opposition meeting. His father, ‘Hindu Hriday Samrat’ Balasaheb Thackeray was opposed to the Congress all along. Balasaheb had once said he will shut the ‘dukaan’ (referring to his political party Shiv Sena) rather than joining the Congress. Now, his son is closing the ‘dukaan’,” Nadda said at public meeting in Odisha’s Bhawanipatna.

BJP leader Sushil Modi also slammed the meeting, stating that there was no outcome from it. “They only decided on the next date of the meeting. AAP boycotted the meeting over the ordinance issue. The Chief Ministers of Delhi and Punjab did not participate. There was no outcome regarding the seat-sharing agenda.”

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi raised questions about the Opposition meeting and stated, “We also don’t want PM Modi to return to power. However, what is the track record of the parties participating in this meeting?”

The June 23 meeting has been scheduled to chalk out a roadmap for the formation of an anti-BJP front for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asserting that they will fight together “like a family” to take on the NDA “one to one”.

News agency PTI quoted its sources as saying that the Opposition parties would look to avoid the prickly leadership question as of now and emphasize on building a common ground. Leaders of 15 parties including half-a-dozen chief ministers are expected to attend the deliberations.

The Venue and Who is Hosting the Meeting

The Opposition picked Patna as a venue for its meeting as it represents the 1974 call of total revolution by Jayaprakash Narayan that toppled Indira Gandhi’s majority government.

The meeting is being hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav with an aim to arrive at a consensus to forge a united Opposition front to take on the BJP.

Opposition Leaders Who Reached Patna Today

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah, Maharashtra’s former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar and Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren arrived in Bihar’s capital on Friday.

Opposition Leaders Already in Patna, Who Skipped

As leaders of several opposition parties arrived in Patna on Thursday, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) president Jayant Chaudhary decided to skip the conclave due to a “pre-decided family programme”. Chaudhary, however, hoped the meeting will be an “important milestone in the path of opposition unity”.

This came after the Janata Dal (United), which is hosting the meet, said Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has not been invited to the event.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti were among the leaders who reached Patna on Thursday, a day before the meeting.

Those in Opposition Not Invited

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, who was not invited for the big meeting, took a dig at the meeting with sarcastic remark, “Dil mile ya na mile, haath milate rahiye“.

She also used another Hindi proverb “muh me Ram, bagal me chhuri” and said the opposition parties should have cleared their intentions before the meeting. Mayawati said Uttar Pradesh has 80 Lok Sabha seats and a key to electoral success but the opposition parties do not seem to be serious about their objectives.

Unease in Congress Over Arvind Kejriwal’s Demand?

Kejriwal wrote to opposition leaders, urging them to discuss the Centre’s ordinance on the control of services in Delhi at the June 23 meeting. However, state-specific issues may not be taken up for discussion in the first such meeting. There is some unease in Congress over the Aam Aadmi Party’s suggestion that Opposition leaders clarify their positions on the Centre’s ordinance.

Reacting to it, Mallikarjun Kharge while leaving for Patna on Friday said, “We all want to fight together against BJP and our agenda is to remove the BJP govt… We will take a decision on this (on supporting AAP against the Centre’s ordinance) before the Parliament session.”

Reaction from Bharatiya Janata Party

• Addressing a rally in Odisha’s Kalahandi, BJP national president JP Nadda reminded people that Rahul Gandhi’s grandmother, Indira Gandhi, had put Lalu Yadav in jail and imprisoned Nitish Kumar for 20 months. “When I see them welcoming Rahul in Patna, I wonder what happened in politics; where did he go and where did he reach,” he said.

Nadda further said, “Just came to know that Uddhav Thackeray has landed on the land of Patna…His father ‘Hindu Samrat’ Balasaheb Thackeray used to say that ‘I will not allow Shiv Sena to become Congress, if I had to join hands with Congress, I would I will close my shop’. Today Balasaheb Thackeray must be thinking that none other than his son has closed his shop.”

• Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly, Vijay Kumar Sinha, said, “They have forgotten that Bihar never supports corrupt people. Congress was defeated, then RJD (Lalu Yadav) lost its power, and now it’s time for Nitish Kumar. He will lose the CM post and will get zero seats.”

• BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad took a jibe at the Opposition leaders, asking who is the groom in this marriage party (a sarcastic comment aiming to know the main contender from united Opposition who’ll fight against PM Modi in 2024). “Nitish Kumar 2024 ke liye baaraat saja rahe hai Patna mai, baaraat me to dulha bhi hota hai, pr is baaraat ka dulha kon hai?” he asked.

• Taking a dig at the Opposition over the mega meeting, former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi said all the Opposition leaders accused of “corruption” have come together fearing arrest once Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns for a third term in office after next year’s Lok Sabha elections.

(With inputs from agencies)