West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Credit: PTI photo.
Kolkata: Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, and Abhishek Banerjee, the National General Secretary of the Trinamool Congress, have confirmed their participation in the upcoming opposition unity meeting in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
The meeting, scheduled to take place on July 17-18, will witness the presence of top leaders from at least 24 political parties, including Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
Sources told ANI that eight new parties have expressed their support for the opposition's efforts to form a united front against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Among the newly joining political parties are 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).
Mallikarjun Kharge, the President of the Indian National Congress and the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, has also extended an invitation to top opposition leaders to participate in the unity meeting. In a letter addressing the leaders, Kharge reminded them of their participation in the previous opposition meeting held on June 23 in Patna, Bihar, which was convened by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
The first opposition unity meeting held in Patna saw the presence of more than 15 parties, including prominent leaders such as Rahul Gandhi, the senior Congress leader, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin. Following the success of the Patna meeting, the leaders agreed to meet again in July to continue discussions on various important issues concerning the country and to further strengthen their collaborative efforts.
The upcoming meeting in Bengaluru aims to build on the momentum gained from the previous gathering and find solutions to the challenges faced by the nation. The presence of Mamata Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee, and other political heavyweights signifies the commitment to forge a strong and united opposition front for the upcoming General Elections.