AAP Asks For Declaration Of Support From Congress Ahead Of Second Opposition Meeting Slated To Be Held On 18 July

Both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are scheduled to participate in the second meeting of opposition parties on 18 July in Bengaluru.

A total of 24 parties, including the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), have been invited to attend the meeting.

In addition to the meeting, Sonia Gandhi is expected to host a dinner for opposition leaders the day before.

This is part of ongoing efforts by the Congress to unite the opposition and present a strong front against the BJP in the upcoming 2024 national election.

The first opposition meeting, organised by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Bihar, saw the participation of around 15 parties.

However, there have been some setbacks to the opposition unity bid, such as a split in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Maharashtra veteran Sharad Pawar, and his nephew Ajit Pawar's decision to join the Eknath Shinde led Shiv Sena-BJP coalition in the state.

The split of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has led to speculation about the potential fragmentation of opposition alliances in other states, such as Bihar.

This development has raised questions about the stability and cohesion of opposition parties in various regions.

On Monday (10 July), it has been reported that eight new parties will be joining the meeting.

The parties joining the meeting are the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), Kongu Desa Makkal Katchi (KDMK), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), All India Forward Bloc, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Kerala Congress (Joseph), and Kerala Congress (Mani).

During the 2014 election, the KDMK and MDMK were allies of the BJP, which led to the election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, has sent out invitations referring to the successful first meeting in Patna.

In his letter, Kharge highlights the unanimous agreement reached on fighting the next General Elections and addressing threats to democratic polity.

Kharge emphasised the importance of continuing these discussions and building on the momentum created. He called for collaborative efforts for finding solutions to the challenges faced by the country.

RJD leader Lalu Yadav, who has been unwell, has announced his intention to travel to Bengaluru for the meeting.

The first meeting was marred by a clash between the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) regarding the Centre's Delhi ordinance.

Arvind Kejriwal demanded a declaration of support from Congress and threatened to skip the next meeting if it was not provided.

Amidst the tension, leaders such as Mamata Banerjee and Sharad Pawar intervened to prevent the situation from escalating further.

They intervened when Kejriwal confronted Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge.