New Delhi-: In order to unite opposition parties from different backgrounds, Opposition parties will now meet in Bengaluru on 17-18 July after Patna. Former Congress President Sonia Gandhi will be a part of the second meeting of the opposition parties. She will also attend the dinner hosted by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramiah on July 17. Congress President Mallikarjuna kharge has already sent invitation to the 24 likeminded parties including Aam Aadmi Party. This will the meeting after the NCP split.
After the huge success of the first meeting of the opposition parties in Patna on June 23, where opposition parties met to plan a strategy for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, this will be the second meeting in Bengaluru. According to the sources Sonia Gandhi was requested to attend this meeting as the United Progressive Alliance Chairperson (UPA) and also because it is being held in Congress ruled State, Karnataka. According to a senior leader of Congress, some of the UPA allies like Sharad Pawar and Lalu Prasad Yadav have already worked with Sonia Gandhi during Manmohan Singh’s tenure. Her presence in the meeting will be important.
The Congress General Secretary K C Venugopal has already tweeted and said “ We are steadfast in our unwavering resolve to defeat the fascist and undemocratic forces”. After the split of the Nationalist Congress party (NCP) , there is a possibility of more political parties breaking up before 2024 polls and this would come up in a discussion in Bengaluru meet. According to a senior leader there is a possibility that AAP may not attend the Karnataka meet though they have been invited.
Some more political parties are expected to be a part of the Bengaluru meet, that were not present in Patna, like MDMK, Kerela Congress(M), Kerela Congress(J), Revolutionary Socialist party (RSP), Rashtriya Lok dal, Indian Union Muslim League and Forward bloc, etc. Ahead of the Monsoon session scheduled from July 20, Sonia Gandhi has also called a Congress meet on June 15 to plan a strategy for the monsoon session of the parliament. After the Bengaluru meet, the opposition may meet in Maharashtra also next month.
