Page 27 - Opposition

No discussion held on 'PM post' during Oppn meeting in Patna: Sharad Pawar

NCP president Sharad Pawar on Monday said no discussion took place on the "prime ministerial post" in the meeting of opposition parties held in Patna last week ahead of the Lok Sabha elections due next year. There were discussions on issues like inflation, unemployment and "deliberate attempts" at some places to encourage communal forces, Pawar told reporters in Baramati town here in Maharashtra. He also hit out at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party for its criticism of the opposition meeting. Why was the BJP worried about the conclave, Pawar said, claiming there was lack of "political maturity". Drawing the battle lines, over 32 leaders of more than a dozen opposition parties held a crucial meeting in Patna hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday and resolved to take on the BJP unitedly in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. At a joint press meeting, the opposition parties said they would fight the polls on a common agenda and state-wise strategy, setting aside their ...

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Oppn have recognised need to fight together to protect Constitution: D Raja

Opposition parties have recognised the need to fight together to protect the Constitution and the secular-democratic fabric of the country as the BJP-led NDA rule at the Centre has become "disastrous", CPI leader D Raja said here on Saturday. All leaders, who attended the opposition meeting held in Patna a day before, decided to fight the 2024 Lok Sabha elections unitedly to defeat the BJP, he said. Talking to reporters here, Raja said, The BJP rule at the Centre has proved disastrous for our country and our Constitution. Now, opposition parties have recognised the need to fight together to protect the Constitution and the secular-democratic fabric of our nation. Raja, who attended the opposition meeting, also said, Karnataka has rejected the "politics of hatred and divide" through a decisive mandate. "The forces that are attacking the Constitution and spreading the politics of hate must be defeated. The BJP government at the Centre should be thrown out," the CPI general secretary

It'll be BJP vs 15 in 2024 LS polls: Oppn parties resolve to stay united

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said he attended the meeting without "memory" of past likes or dislikes and prejudices

17 opposition parties decide to fight unitedly against BJP in 2024 LS polls

As many as 17 opposition parties on Friday resolved to fight the 2024 Lok Sabha elections unitedly to defeat the BJP and work with flexibility by setting aside their differences. Addressing a joint press conference after an almost four-hour-long meeting, during which leaders of 17 parties expressed their views, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said the leaders will meet in the next few days to give final shape to their plan of fighting together. "We had a good meeting and several leaders expressed their views during the meeting. 17 parties have decided to work together and contest the Lok Sabha elections unitedly," he told reporters. Kumar, who hosted the first such meeting, said they were working in the national interest and accused the BJP of acting against the national interest as it was trying to change the country's history. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced that the next meeting of opposition leaders would be held in Shimla in Himachal Pradesh next month. "We

Oppn unity nearly impossible, will face drubbing in LS polls: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday dubbed as a "photo session" the meeting of opposition leaders in Patna, and said their unity is nearly impossible and they will face drubbing in the next Lok Sabha polls. Addressing a public rally here, Shah also slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying he has the habit of criticising everything. Referring to the opposition meet underway in Bihar's capital, Shah said, "A photo session is happening in Patna. All the opposition leaders have come together on a single platform to convey a message that they will challenge BJP, NDA and Modi (in 2024). All I want to say to these opposition leaders is that your unity is nearly impossible and even if it gets real, please come in front of the people as in 2024, Modi's return with 300 plus seats is confirmed, he said. Top leaders of Opposition parties are holding deliberations to chalk out a roadmap for the formation of an anti-BJP front for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.The meeting is being hosted by Bi

Opposition leaders discuss roadmap for 2024 LS polls in mega meet in Patna

Top leaders of Opposition parties held deliberations here on Friday to chalk out a roadmap for the formation of an anti-BJP front for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The meeting is being hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of the JD(U) and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD. As the host, Kumar presided over the meeting flanked on either side by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad. Sources said more than 30 leaders of 15 Opposition parties participated in the meeting at the Bihar chief minister's 1, Aney Marg, residence here. The meeting was being seen as a starting point for the Opposition parties to come together to take on the Narendra Modi-led BJP, the sources said. Therefore, a basic outline and roadmap for Opposition unity are likely to be deliberated upon with the contentious issue of seat sharing and leadership questions to be avoided for now, they said. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, West .

Cong seeking support since it can't defeat PM Modi alone: BJP on Oppn meet

The BJP on Friday derided the opposition parties' efforts to forge a front against it and said the Congress was seeking the support of others because it was "incapable of defeating Prime Minister Narendra Modi alone" in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Top leaders of Opposition parties went into a huddle in Patna on Friday to chalk out a roadmap for the formation of an anti-BJP front for next year's general elections. The meeting was hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of the JD(U) and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD. BJP leader and Union Minister Smriti Irani took a dig at JD(U) and other opposition parties, saying it was "ironic" that some of the leaders who witnessed the "murder of democracy" during the Emergency have assembled under the Congress' parasol in Patna. They have sent out a message that they are unable of taking on Modi on their own, she claimed. "I want to especially express gratitude to the Congress for openly announcing that it is incapable of defeating Modi

All-party Opposition meet ahead of 2024 elections today; all you must know

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar is hosting the crucial meeting in which most of the non-BJP parties are taking part as they plan to take on the BJP in the next year's general election

Oppn meet: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Kharge arrive in Bihar's Patna

Speaking to reporters ahead of the meeting, Kharge said that the opposition parties' agenda is to remove the Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre and they all would fight together

Manipur issue to be discussed in Oppn meeting: NCP's Sharad Pawar

Pawar, who was accompanied by her daughter Supriya Sule, further added that "they are meeting to discuss some important issues of the country and decide the future course of action

Opposition parties to meet in Patna tomorrow; check who all are attending

The meeting is being seen as a starting point for the Opposition to come together to take on the Narendra Modi-led BJP

Oppn must move forward with common minimum programme: Bihar Congress chief

The issue of who would be the prime ministerial face of the Opposition alliance is not important as the leadership question can be tackled collectively after dislodging the BJP-RSS from power, Bihar Congress chief Akhilesh Prasad Singh said on Thursday, stressing the need for preparing a common minimum programme soon. Singh claimed that when Opposition parties unite and contest the general elections next year, the BJP will come down to less than 100 seats. His remarks come ahead of a crucial meeting on Friday of top leaders of Opposition parties to chart a roadmap for the formation of an anti-BJP front for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. In an interview with PTI, Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee president Singh said his party is the central pillar of Opposition unity and stressed that small differences between parties will be ironed out at meetings such as the one taking place here. "We hope that all will sit together and an amicable solution will be reached to move forward together," Si

Oppn to start 'Mission 2024' with Patna meet, chart course to take on BJP

Top leaders of Opposition parties will brainstorm at a meeting here on Friday to chalk out a roadmap for the formation of an anti-BJP front for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, with sources saying that they would look to avoid the prickly leadership question and emphasise on common ground. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her Delhi counterpart and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav, Maharashtra's former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and NCP president Sharad Pawar are among the leaders expected to attend the first high-level opposition meeting. It is being hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav here. Sources said the meeting was being seen as a starting point for the Opposition to come together to take on the Narendra Modi-led BJP. Therefore, a basic outline and roadmap for Opposition unity are likely to be deliberated

Oppn uneasy over presence of Congress in Patna meet ahead of 2024 LS polls

A strong sense of unease seems to be emerging in opposition parties over the presence of Congress, ahead of the Patna conclave of non-BJP parties

Congress unleashes war against civilisational values: Himanta attacks Oppn

After senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh slammed the central govt for awarding the Gandhi Peace Prize for 2021 to Uttar Pradesh's Gita Press, Himanta Biswa Sarma launched a sharp attack

UPA-3 'very much possible' in 2024, Oppn must be ready to fight BJP: Sibal

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Sunday said a UPA-3 government coming to power in 2024 is very much possible provided the Opposition parties have a commonality of purpose, an agenda reflecting it and are ready for give and take when fielding candidates to take on the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls. Sibal, a prominent Opposition voice and a former Congress leader, also said that instead of a common minimum programme, the Opposition parties should talk about a "new vision for India". His remarks come days before a crucial meeting of Opposition parties, hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna on June 23, where top Opposition leaders such as Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former AICC chief Rahul Gandhi, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, among others, are set to deliberate on the way forward for forming an anti-BJP coalition for the Lok Sabha polls next year. In an interview with PTI, Sibal said the Congress' win in Karnataka assembly polls was an

Bengal panchayat poll nomination peaceful: Mamata on Oppn's violence claims

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday asserted that the panchayat poll nomination process in Bengal is peaceful, while slamming opposition parties for trying to make an issue out of one or two stray incidents. Banerjee's comments come shortly after Governor C V Ananda Bose said that political violence in the state must come to an end, after visiting Bhangore, where supporters of two parties clashed a day before, leaving three dead. The Governor had said he has already discussed the situation with Banerjee. "There is no other state other than Bengal where the panchayat poll nomination process is so peaceful. The opposition parties - CPI(M), Congress, BJP and the ISF are trying to blame us over one or two incidents during the nomination exercise," the chief minister said. She was addressing the concluding session of the two-month-long Trinamool eh Nabojowar' (New Wave in Trinamool). Hitting out at the Congress for "allying with the BJP and CPI(M)", Banerjee also said

Sibal calls for opposition unity to save democracy, expose Modi government

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal on Sunday said that democracy and brotherhood in the country were in danger from the Modi government, which was doing 'whatever it liked'

Stringent action must be taken against those who defame Oppn leaders: Ajit

Senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar said on Friday that stringent action should be taken against those who try to defame Opposition leaders through social media and appealed to all political parties to desist from using foul language against one another. Speaking to reporters in Pune, Pawar said that he tried to reach Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis over the death threat issued to NCP president Sharad Pawar on social media. We got to know whose account it is. In the bio, it is mentioned that the person is a BJP worker. We do not know whether he is really a BJP worker or whether his party told him to say so. The ideological fight should be fought ideologically, he said. Everyone has freedom of expression but why misuse it, he said. Who gave them the right to write something defamatory about any political leader, he asked. Ajit Pawar said he tried to get in touch with Shinde but was told the CM is on a tour. I tried to reach deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis but could