The leaders from 24 political parties arrived in Bengaluru on Monday afternoon to attend the opposition meeting in an attempt to outline strategy against the BJP for 2024 Lok Sabha.
The leaders include Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and party leader Rahul Gandhi. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah received the Congress leadership at HAL airport.
Other prominent leaders who arrived at Bengaluru are West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akshilesh Yadav, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K Stalin, Rashtriya Lok Dal President Jayant Chaudhary, and former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar welcomed the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee at the Bengaluru airport while Akhilesh Yadav was received by Minister of Large and Medium Industries M.B. Patil and Minister for Women and Child Welfare Laxmi Hebbalkar at the HAL airport.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that this is the second meet in which leaders of about 24 political parties are taking part.
He said that all leaders of opposition will deliberate today and tomorrow with an objective of facing the next Lok Sabha elections.
"BJP has destroyed the country's economy. After PM Modi came to power, inflation is at an all time high. Farmers, Dalits and the poor are not able to live. Communalism is at its peak and people are forced to live under fear," the Chief Minister said.
On criticism of all parties uniting to defeat PM Modi, the Chief Minister said, "haven't we efficiently faced PM Modi in Karnataka? Wherever PM Modi has gone, the Congress party has won. He came here 28 times but we won. BJP's downfall has started from Karnataka."
He said that during the 2024 Lok Sabha election, BJP and its allies will be defeated and UPA alliance will be victorious.
He said that JD (S) has no ideology. "After sharing power with the BJP, they have no ideology of their own," the Chief Minister said.
He said that the Bihar Chief Minister Nithish Kumar has also realised his mistake of joining hands with the BJP.
"The saffron party will not get a majority in the upcoming elections. The BJP will bite the dust this time," he said.
The first opposition meet took place in Bihar on June 23, which the opposition parties claim to be a successful meeting. Around 12 parties took part in Bihar.
(With inputs from IANS)
