The Opposition parties meet is underway in Bengaluru for the second day on Tuesday with the Congress hoping to deliver a strong message to the country ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha election.
The meeting has assumed importance as the most prominent politicians and chief ministers of different states who are opposed to BJP ideology are attending the meeting.
Sources said that United Progressive Alliance (UPA) will be changed into Indian National Democratic Alliance (INDIA). AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal had hinted at the changing of the name of the UPA alliance. Leaders representing 26-political parties from across the country are taking part in the meeting.
NCP founder and former CM Sharad Pawar, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress head Mamata Banerjee, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of the JD-U, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi) and party leader and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, Jharkhand Chief Minister and JMM head Hemant Soren, Shiv Sena-UBT chief and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, National Conference leader and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, PDP chief and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, Samajwadi Party chief and former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury and others are participating in the event.
Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge are also attending the meeting. Before entering the meeting hall organised at the Hotel Taj West End, the leaders displayed a show of solidarity and waved at the media persons.
The scheduled meeting was delayed due to the death of senior Kerala Congress leader and former chief minister Oommen Chandy.
(With inputs from IANS)
