Opposition’s Bengaluru meet: Uddhav Sena to participate; AAP likely to decide today

Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Political Affairs Committee (PAC) is scheduled to hold a meeting today (Sunday) at 4 pm to discuss the opposition meeting in Bengaluru.

More than 30 leaders from various political parties had participated in the Patna event. (Express File Photo by Amit Chakravarty)

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A day ahead of the Opposition parties’ second meeting scheduled to take place in Bengaluru, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said Sunday that he along with the party chief Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aditya Thackeray will participate in the “very important” meeting.

“Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray and I will participate in the opposition meeting that is going to take place in Bengaluru. This is a very important meeting,” Raut was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

The second joint meeting of the Opposition parties will be held in Bengaluru on July 17-18. The Opposition parties’ first meeting was held in Patna on June 23.

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Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Political Affairs Committee (PAC) is scheduled to hold a meeting today (Sunday) at 4 pm to discuss the opposition meeting. When asked if he will attend the Bengaluru meet, AAP national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal told reporters that he can inform only after the PAC meet. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will also join the PAC meeting through video conferencing.

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The party has said that it won’t attend the Opposition meeting unless the Congress makes its stand clear on the ordinance over the reins of ‘Services’ passed by the Centre for Delhi. The Congress, on its part, signalled Saturday that it would oppose the ordinance but shied away from openly declaring its backing to the AAP government.

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi is also expected to participate in the second meeting of opposition leaders.

Shivakumar told the media that a majority of Opposition leaders are expected to participate in the meeting. “I am very confident that Sonia Gandhi will also (participate). AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge has requested her to participate in this meeting,” he said.

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The Congress party is the host of the Bengaluru meet. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge has also invited several smaller parties to the conclave to send out a signal that most of the anti-BJP forces in the country are coming together to create a common front against the saffron party in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Also Read | Road to 2024 | Oppn walks Bengaluru meet tightrope amid pitfalls: Bengal violence to NCP split to Tejashwi chargesheet

Sources said Karnataka CM and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah will host a dinner for all the Opposition leaders on July 17 during which there would be informal discussions. The parties’ substantial deliberations would be held on July 18 after which they would hold a joint press conference. Sources said the parties are also planning to hold joint rallies in the coming days to cement their unity.

In June this year, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had hosted the first meeting of Opposition leaders with an objective of forging a united opposition front to fight BJP in next year’s Lok Sabha elections. More than 30 leaders from various political parties had participated in the Patna event.

Although the second meeting was initially scheduled for July 12 and 13, it was later advanced following the political crisis in Maharashtra after a big chunk of NCP legislators led by Ajit Pawar joined the NDA.

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