Bengaluru Opposition meeting today: Who is attending? What's on the agenda?

Top leaders from 24 Opposition parties will be attending a meeting today in Bengaluru to develop a strategy to challenge the BJP in the forthcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The  leaders are expected to hold talks on ironing out their differences and project a united front in next year's general elections.

The meeting's invitations, which were delivered by Congress, were sent out by Mallikarjun Kharge, the party's leader. In order to present a united front against the BJP, he called representatives from all the main and minor parties to the meeting.

The Opposition parties also plan to set up a subcommittee for chalking out the joint programme that includes rallies, conventions and agitations. Various media reports stated that the leaders will hold discussions on issuing a joint declaration.

The meeting will be attended by a total of 24 parties. Since the first Opposition gathering on June 23 this year in Patna, this is the second. There were a total of 15 parties present at the conference.

Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray, and MP Sanjay Raut will all be present at the meeting in addition to AAP. Rahul Gandhi is anticipated to attend the Bengaluru meeting as well. Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee along with TMC General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee will also be participate in the meet. RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav confirmed his presence at the meeting as well. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, will also be travelling to Bengaluru for the Opposition meeting.

The discussions against the BJP will also include eight other parties that did not attend the initial conference in Patna.

These parties include the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the Revolutionary Socialist Party, the Kongu Desa Makkal Katchi, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), the Kerala Congress (Joseph), and the Kerala Congress (Mani).

The first meeting was held by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. The participating parties had all pledged to work together to win the Lok Sabha elections. Sharad Pawar, the head of the NCP, Mamata Banerjee, and Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Congress, were among the prominent figures present.

The Opposition meet coincides with a mega meet of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in New Delhi, an exercise aimed at flexing numbers ahead of 2024 general elections.