Oppn leaders to hold meeting in Patna to formalise strategy for 2024 LS polls

PATNA: Leaders of Opposition parties from across the country are set to meet in Patna to chalk out a strategy to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

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 will be hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with an aim to arrive at a consensus to forge a united Opposition front to take on the BJP.

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.

The meeting has been called by Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar and will be attended by leaders of parties opposed to the BJP. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti were among the leaders who reached Patna ahead of the meeting.

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge are expected to reach Patna on Friday morning. On her arrival in Patna, Mamata Banerjee called on Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) patriarch and former Bihar CM Lalu Yadav and his son and state Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav.

"It was wonderful to meet Lalu Prasad Yadavji. He is a senior leader. Unfortunately, he was in jail for so many days and then was hospitalised for a long time. It was good to see him. I cannot share the details of the meeting right now. All I can say is that we are here to fight collectively, like a family." After meeting with RJD Supremo, Mamata Banerjee met Nitish Kumar at Patna Circuit House. Kejriwal and Mann also met Nitish Kumar. Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati 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.

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. He said that RJD which does not have a single seat in the Lok Sabha is challenging the party with 303 seats.

"The party (RJD) which does not have a single seat in the Lok Sabha, is challenging the party with 303 seats (BJP), Bihar will give 40 out of 40 Lok Sabha seats to PM Modi," he said.

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. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, and former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray are among leaders expected to attend the meeting.