In preparation for the 2024 Lok Sabha election, opposition parties opposing the current Govt in power led by the BJP have scheduled a second joint meeting in Bengaluru.

Source: Hindustan Times

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Ahead of the meeting, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, along with state in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala and Home Minister G Parameshwara, inspected the arrangements. The leaders of various opposition parties were greeted with large posters and banners along Racecourse Road, symbolizing their arrival for the upcoming joint opposition meeting. 

The crucial gathering will occur over the course of today and tomorrow at the Taj West End Hotel in Bengaluru. where Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has reportedly taken the initiative to send invitation letters to prominent leaders of Opposition parties. In his correspondence, Kharge emphasized the significance of sustaining the ongoing discussions and capitalizing on the progress achieved during their previous gathering in Patna.

OPPOSITION #OperationLoksabha 2024:

📌24 Political Parties;49 Political leaders will attend #OperationLoksabha two-day Strategy-Meeting under the leadership of Cong chief Kharge

📌Rahul & Sonia Gandhi will also mark their attendance in the #OppositionStrategy Meeting

📌JDS OUT pic.twitter.com/ETQ9kzktIs

— Gururaj Anjan (@Anjan94150697) July 17, 2023

A minimum of 24 Opposition parties will convene for their second meeting, aiming to devise a strategy to counter the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The initial meeting took place in Patna, Bihar, on June 23, and saw the participation of 32 Opposition leaders from 15 different political parties. 

The second opposition meeting will witness the participation of several political parties, including Congress, TMC, DMK, JDU, JMM, Shiv Sena (UBT), AAP, RJD, MDMK, KDMK, VCK, RSP, Forward Bloc, IUML, Kerala Congress (Joseph), and Kerala Congress (Mani). Additionally, Krishna Patel’s Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) and M H Jawahirullah’s Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) from Tamil Nadu are also expected to join the front, as they have received invitations to the meeting.

OPERATION LOKSABHA 2024:#OppositionMeeting: 📌At Private Hotel #TajWestend OPERATION LOKSABHA meeting has been Scheduled. Arrangements have been made for all the opposition leaders to stay at a five-star hotel

—All the Opposition leaders across states on their way to Bengaluru pic.twitter.com/ErE8Hia2lz

— Gururaj Anjan (@Anjan94150697) July 17, 2023

Distinguished leaders from various political parties are set to attend the meeting, including Congress Parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar, Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of Bihar and JDU leader Nitish Kumar, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, as well as former chief ministers Uddhav Thackeray and Lalu Prasad.

#WATCH | Karnataka: Big posters and banners put up on Race Course Road welcoming leaders of various opposition parties for the joint opposition meeting

Meeting to take place today and tomorrow at Taj West End Hotel in Bengaluru pic.twitter.com/TFYXp1LG5C

— ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2023

During the meeting, the Opposition leaders are expected to engage in discussions regarding the formulation of a joint declaration and progress further on their proposition of fielding unified opposition candidates across a significant number of Lok Sabha constituencies. Additionally, there is a proposal to establish a subcommittee tasked with drafting a common minimum program and communication strategies for the Opposition alliance in preparation for the upcoming 2024 general elections.

Source: The Economic Times

The opposition parties are making arrangements to form a subcommittee responsible for outlining a comprehensive joint program that encompasses rallies, conventions, and agitations. Furthermore, they intend to deliberate on the methodology for determining seat sharing on a state-by-state basis, as well as finalize a name for their alliance. In response to the recent NCP split in Maharashtra, the opposition parties are gearing up to strategize and formulate a unified plan for nationwide agitations against the policies of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). 

Source: English Jagran

Alongside this, the opposition leaders are anticipated to address concerns regarding electronic voting machines (EVMs) and propose reforms to the Election Commission. Notably, the opposition meeting aligns with the NDA meeting scheduled on July 18 in Delhi, where the ruling BJP-led coalition is expected to welcome new allies into its fold.

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