PATNA: As many as fifteen (15) opposition parties across India have decided to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections jointly.
This was decided during an opposition parties meeting at Patna in Bihar on Friday (June 23).
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The meeting organised by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav.
Top opposition leaders across India took part in the meeting.
Top opposition leaders to take part in the meeting are: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo from Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav, former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, National Conference (NC) leader and former Jammu & Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah.
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Briefing media persons after the meeting, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that the upcoming Lok Sabha elections will be a “battle of ideologies”.
“It is a battle of ideologies. Indeed, there will be differences amongst us but we have decided to work together and protect the ideologies shared by us,” said Rahul Gandhi after opposition meeting in Patna.
Meanwhile, National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah said, “We have met to save the country from devastation and to bring democracy back.”
“There was consensus on fighting elections together. The next meeting will happen in a few days. Mallikarjun Kharge will lead the meeting next month. In that meeting, things like who will contest where will be finalised,” Bihar CM Nitish Kumar said.
The next meeting of the opposition parties are slated to be held in July in Shimla.
Former Bihar CM and RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav after the joint opposition meeting said, “Now I am fully fit and will make Narendra Modi fit. The country’s situation is grim at the moment. We will meet again in July in Shimla to prepare an agenda on how to move ahead.”