Opposition Patna Meet: 15 Parties Decide To Fight Unitedly Against BJP in 2024 Polls

As many as 15 opposition parties have come together with a common goal of defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Following an extensive four-hour-long meeting, leaders of the participating parties addressed a joint press conference to announce their unity and determination to work collectively, setting aside their differences.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who hosted the meeting, expressed satisfaction with the fruitful discussions and confirmed that the parties had unanimously agreed to contest the elections as a united front. Kumar further mentioned that the leaders would convene in the coming days to finalize the strategy for their joint campaign.

Stressing that they were acting in the national interest, Kumar accused the BJP of working against it by attempting to alter the country's history. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge revealed that the next meeting of opposition leaders would take place in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, next month. He emphasized the importance of establishing a common agenda and making decisions on the way forward during the gathering.

Rahul Gandhi, a prominent Congress leader, acknowledged that while differences may exist, the opposition parties had made the commitment to collaborate with flexibility and protect their shared ideology.

Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo, highlighted the symbolic significance of initiating the meeting in Patna, stating that movements originating there tend to gain momentum. Banerjee reiterated the unity of purpose among the parties and pledged a united fight against the BJP. She also said their love for the country and their dedication to safeguarding its history, asserting that they were not just opposition parties but also patriotic citizens of India.

The meeting 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 meeting flanked on either side by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee (TMC), her Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab's Bhagwant Mann (AAP), Tamil Nadu's M K 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 leaders attending the first high-level Opposition meeting.

Leaders of the PDP, CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML) and the National Conference are also present at the meeting.

Before the meeting, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin dubbed the Opposition huddle a ''war cry'' against a ''fascist and autocratic regime.'' The Samajwadi Party is the only party from Uttar Pradesh attending the meeting with BSP supremo Mayawati not being invited and Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary skipping the conclave due to a family programme. Uttar Pradesh sends the maximum number of 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha.