The forthcoming Opposition meeting, aimed at devising a united strategy against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), will now take place in Bengaluru on July 13 and 14, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar said on Thursday. The change in venue from Shimla to Bengaluru was prompted by heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh, making Bengaluru a more suitable location.

Following the first Opposition meeting in Patna on June 23,  Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that the next meeting would be held in Shimla.

“After our initial meeting, we have now decided to hold the second meeting of the opposition party in Bengaluru on July 13 and 14. We made this decision today, as the intended venue in Shimla was unsuitable due to heavy rainfall. In Bengaluru, we will focus on strategising and maintaining unity as we prepare to face the upcoming elections together. Additionally, we will work on devising a robust plan to address communal tensions and the alleged misuse of central forces in various States,” Pawar said.

The Opposition parties are striving to streamline their efforts and present a cohesive agenda to challenge the BJP in the forthcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

During the Patna meeting, which lasted for four hours, there were spirited exchanges between the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The AAP has expressed its unwillingness to participate in future Opposition meetings involving the Congress until the party publicly denounces the Central Government’s contentious Ordinance regarding the control of administrative services in Delhi.