A mega Opposition meeting, hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to chalk out a roadmap for the formation of an anti-BJP front for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, has concluded in Patna.
Leaders including All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin attended the meet.
Opposition meet Live Updates: Follow this space for all the latest updates from the first joint meeting of Opposition parties in Patna, Bihar.
The Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly, Vijay Kumar Sinha, hit out at the Opposition meet scheduled in Patna today and said, “They have forgotten that Bihar never supports corrupt people. Congress was defeated, then RJD (Lalu Yadav) lost its power, and now it's time for Nitish Kumar. He will lose the CM post and will get zero seats. PM will again form the government in 2024.”
#WATCH | Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi arrive in Bihar's Patna for the Opposition leaders' meeting pic.twitter.com/O51rWBsKaw
— ANI (@ANI) June 23, 2023
Talking to mediapersons before leaving for Patna to attend the Opposition meet, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that the party would take a decision on supporting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) against the Centre's ordinance concerning control of services in the Centre before the next Parliament session.
“We all want to fight together against BJP and our agenda is to remove the BJP government,” he said.
#WATCH | We all want to fight together against BJP and our agenda is to remove the BJP govt… We will take a decision on this (on supporting AAP against the Centre's ordinance) before the Parliament session, says Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as he leaves for the… pic.twitter.com/ew2Qzs2Vfq
— ANI (@ANI) June 23, 2023
Taking a jibe at the Patna Opposition meet, BJP MP and former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “Nitish Kumar 2024 ke liye baaraat saja rahe hai Patna mai, baaraat me to dulha bhi hota hai, par is baaraat ka dulha kon hai? (Nitish Kumar is decorating the wedding procession for the 2024 elections in Patna, but who is the groom (PM contender). Everyone is calling themself a PM contender.”
#WATCH | "Nitish Kumar 2024 ke liye baaraat saja rahe hai Patna mai, baaraat me to dulha bhi hota hai, pr is baaraat ka dulha kon hai? (Nitish Kumar is decorating the wedding procession for the 2024 elections in Patna, but who is the groom (PM contender). Everyone is calling… pic.twitter.com/4RfIVLsVkF
— ANI (@ANI) June 23, 2023
Ahead of the Opposition meet in Patna today, posters outside the BJP office in the city showed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as a 'real-life Devdas', comparing him to the literary character played by Bollywood stars Dilip Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan.
#WATCH | Posters taking a jibe at the Opposition unity, portraying Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as 'Devdas of real life', put up outside the BJP office in Patna, Bihar. pic.twitter.com/23eHdw8D9o
— ANI (@ANI) June 23, 2023
National Conference (NC) leader and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah arrived in Patna for the joint Opposition meeting ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls on Friday morning.
#WATCH | National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah, arrives in Bihar's Patna to attend the Opposition leaders' meeting pic.twitter.com/GptDopOdjY
— ANI (@ANI) June 23, 2023
Leaders of several opposition parties have arrived in Patna ahead of their crucial meeting which is aimed at forging unity for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls even as they face challenges in terms of turf wars in states. 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.
The Janata Dal (United), led by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has been instrumental in getting all parties together. It said the Patna meet would provide a roadmap against the Modi-led BJP government for the 2024 polls.