Opposition meeting: 2024 Lok Sabha election strategy on agenda as party leaders set to meet in Patna

Top Opposition leaders will meet in Patna on Friday to prepare the “first draft” of their united fight against the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The meeting hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar would see the participation of top leaders across parties.

Leaders of the Opposition parties from all across the nation will gather in Patna to develop a plan to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The meeting is being hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar (JDU) and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav (RJD) at the chief minister's 1, Aney Marg residence. According to the reports, the Opposition parties will be focusing on forging a consensus at this time rather than broaching the touchy subject of leadership. The discussions will likely be attended by 15 party leaders and six chief ministers.

The Opposition chose Patna as the location for its meeting because it commemorates Jayaprakash Narayan's demand for a complete revolution in 1974, which led to the overthrow of Indira Gandhi's majority government.

The meeting is expected to be attended by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, former Lok Sabha Member Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee (TMC), Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann (AAP), Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin (DMK), Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren (JMM), Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav. The gathering is also anticipated to include PDP, CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML), and National Conference leaders.

Mamata Banerjee met with Lalu Yadav, the founder of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), a former chief minister of Bihar, and Tejashwi Yadav, the state's deputy chief minister, upon her arrival in Patna. She visited Nitish Kumar in Patna Circuit House after her meeting with RJD Supremo. Kejriwal and Mann also met Nitish Kumar.

In a letter to Opposition, Kejriwal urged them to attend the June 23 meeting and address the Centre's ordinance governing the governance of services in Delhi.  There is some unease in Congress over the Aam Aadmi Party's suggestion that Opposition leaders clarify their positions on the Centre's ordinance.