Opposition Meeting: West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and party MP Abhishek Banerjee on Monday arrived in Bengaluru for the two-day joint Opposition meeting to chalk out the strategy to dethrone Narendra Modi led-BJP government from Centre in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls 2024.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, and other senior leaders of the party warmly welcomed the visiting group. Among them were prominent leaders like Congress Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, president Mallikarjun Kharge, and party leader Rahul Gandhi who arrived at Bengaluru airport earlier.

Read More: Oppn meeting: Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi arrive at Bengaluru

Expressing his confidence, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav stated, “…a significant majority, comprising two-thirds of the population, is poised to defeat the BJP. I am hopeful that the people of our country will decisively reject the BJP…I am receiving reports from every corner of the nation that the BJP will face a resounding defeat…”

In preparation for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress party has successfully garnered support from 26 other political parties, uniting them for the second opposition unity meeting against the BJP. The initial opposition unity meeting took place in Patna last month.

The formal opposition meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, is expected to commence at 11 am and continue until 4 pm. Following this, an informal gathering has been planned for 6 pm, followed by a dinner at 8 pm.

Sources indicate that during the Bengaluru meeting, the opposition alliance is likely to finalize its name and discuss the common minimum program. Additionally, there are plans to establish several committees to address various issues concerning the alliance, potentially leading to the formation of different groups and sub-groups for further deliberation.