Congress Gains Support From 25 Parties For Opposition Unity Meeting In Bengaluru Ahead Of 2024 Elections

Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress party has garnered support from 25 different parties for the second Opposition Unity meeting set to take place in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Leaders representing at least 26 opposition parties will converge at a hotel in Bengaluru from July 17 to July 18, aiming to present a united front against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the center. Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister, DK Shivakumar, has been appointed as the in-charge for overseeing all the preparations for the meeting. Accommodation arrangements have been made for the opposition leaders at a five-star hotel in the city.

As per the tentative schedule, on Monday, there will be a joint press conference held by Jairam Ramesh, Congress General Secretary in-charge of Communications, and KC Venugopal, Congress General Secretary. Following this, in the afternoon, opposition leaders will begin arriving for the meeting. An informal meeting is scheduled for 6 pm, followed by dinner at 8 pm. On July 18, the meeting will commence at 11 am and continue until 4 pm.

Post-meeting, a press conference is expected to be held where the campaign strategy for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections may be announced. Sources indicate that the opposition alliance's name will be finalized, and discussions on the common minimum program will take place during the Bengaluru meeting. Additionally, the formation of various committees is anticipated to address potential challenges within the alliance, with groups and sub-groups likely to be established for further deliberations.