The upcoming meeting of Opposition parties in Patna seeks to explore the broader contours of forming a unified alliance while refraining from any discussions on finalising a prospective candidate for the Prime Minister post. The gathering, scheduled for the next week, will bring together senior leaders, including Sharad Pawar, who will play a pivotal role in bridging gaps and charting a way forward to draft a common agenda for stakeholders such as the Congress and Left parties.
Amid speculation, sources associated with the conclave have firmly denied the inclusion of discussions regarding a prime ministerial candidate on the agenda. Instead, the primary focus will be on deciding a common minimum programme that facilitates collaboration among the parties in the lead-up to the Lok Sabha elections.
The meeting has been convened at the behest of senior JDU leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, with coordination efforts from his party and alliance partners, the RJD.
While Nitish’s recent endeavours, including reaching out to top leaders across States, sparked speculation about his potential candidacy for the Prime Minister’s post, both Nitish and his party have categorically denied harbouring such ambitions.
“The meeting is the first step. A common agenda will be finalised, addressing crucial issues such as inflation, unemployment, Government economic mismanagement, communal harmony, misuse of Government agencies, and subversion of democracy,” revealed sources from several participating parties.
Additionally, the issue of a caste-based census, which has garnered support even from Bihar’s BJP leaders, is expected to feature on the agenda. The Opposition parties are hopeful of garnering widespread support for this matter at the national level.
The list of attendees includes Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, and NCP chief Sharad Pawar.
Other leaders who have consented to participate in the meeting are Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, CPI general secretary D Raja, CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, and CPI (ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya.
However, the Telangana-based Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha, and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will not be attending the meeting due to differences with the Congress.
“There will be no discussion on any prime ministerial candidate. The meeting is aimed at coordinating among the Opposition parties for the next general election, marking the initial step,” confirmed sources from the RJD, JDU, Congress, and NCP.
Congress sources revealed that main on the agendas is to form a team of senior leaders who will visit different States, engage with local leaders, and hold meetings and conferences to mobilise support for the Opposition. While a formal alliance between the Opposition parties seems unlikely, the idea is to work on a formula that ensures one winnable Opposition candidate in each constituency.
The Patna conclave holds great significance as it provides a platform for influential leaders to deliberate on crucial matters and reach consensus on key policy issues. By deliberately sidelining discussions on the prime ministerial candidate, the Opposition demonstrates its commitment to collective decision-making and strategic collaboration, presenting a strong, alternative vision to the Indian electorate.
“There will be no discussion on any prime ministerial candidate. The meeting is aimed at coordinating among the Opposition parties for the next general election, marking the initial step,” confirmed sources from the RJD, JDU, Congress, and NCP.
Congress sources revealed that among the main agenda is to form a team of senior leaders who will visit different States, engage with local leaders, and hold meetings and conferences to mobilize support for the opposition. While a formal alliance between the Opposition parties seems unlikely, the idea is to work on a formula that ensures one winnable Opposition candidate in each constituency.