Patna (Bihar): The much-anticipated Opposition meeting that was held in Patna concluded on Friday afternoon. The Opposition leaders will address the press soon. Over 18 parties were expected to take part in the landmark event, however leaders of only 14 parties attended the crucial meeting.
The meeting was conveyed by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to form a united alternative to take on the Narendra Modi-led BJP government in the 2024 Lok Sabha. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and party chief Mallikharjun Kharge, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) president Uddhav Thackeray, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK leader MK Stalin, Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal, Jharkhand Chief Minister and JMM leader Hemant Soren among others are attending the meeting.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao did not attend the Patna meeting as his Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) has decided to maintain an equal distance from both Congress and BJP. The Patna meeting, which was postponed twice in the past, due to the unavailability of major leaders finally took place with Nitish Kumar making an extra effort towards that end. Whether there were talks on a common minimum programme (CMP) and electoral understanding is still unclear. Before the meeting, a few voices of denial and dissent had emerged from within the opposition parties. Their main concern was about the strategies of the Congress, which is upbeat after its electoral successes in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had declared that it will not be a part of the opposition unity initiative if Congress doesn't support it against the controversial Ordinance issued by the Central government on the civil services in Delhi.
