Lalu's Return, Cong vs AAP, Oppn Alliance: 7 Key Developments from Patna Meet

(Photo: The Quint)

Video Editor: Abhishek Sharma

"Hum Gandhi ke desh ko Godse ka desh nahi banne denge (we won't let Mahatma Gandhi's country turn into Nathuram Godse's)," was the common mantra with which at least 15 Opposition parties announced their grand alliance for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Patna on Friday, 23 June.

A grand meeting led by Bihar chief minister and Janata Dal (United) (JDU) leader Nitish Kumar was attended by over 30 opposition leaders from across parties.

With several of them clearly known to have differences, the BJP left no chances to point them out and call the unity a farce. 

A few key highlights and takeaways from the meeting.

1. The Parties that Were Present

Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Trinamool Congress (AITC), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Shiv Sena (UBT), Samajwadi Party (SP), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), CPI(M), CPI (M), CPI (ML), People's Democratic Party (PDP), J&K National Conference, and Dravid Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

Here's the full list of leaders who were present:

1. Nitish Kumar (JDU)

2. Lalan Singh (JDU)

3. Mallikarjun Kharge (INC)

4. Rahul Gandhi (INC)

5. KC Venugopal (INC)

6. Mamata Banerjee (AITC)

7. Abhishek Banerjee (AITC)

8. Derek O’Brien (AITC)

9. Firhad Hakim (AITC)

10. Lalu Prasad Yadav (RJD)

11. Tejashwi Yadav (RJD)

12. Manoj Jha (RJD)

13. Sanjay Jha (RJD)

14. Sharad Pawar (NCP)

15. Supriya Sule (NCP)

16. Praful Patel (NCP)

17. Arvind Kejriwal (AAP)

18. Raghav Chaddha (AAP)

19. Sanjay Singh (AAP)

20. Bhagwant Mann (AAP)

21. Uddhav Thackeray (SS-UBT)

22. Aaditya Thackeray (SS-UBT)

23. Sanjay Raut (SS-UBT)

24. MK Stalin (DMK)

25. TR Baalu (DMK)

26. Hemant Soren (JMM)

27. Akhilesh Yadav (SP)

28. Sitaram Yechury (CPIM)

29. Dipankar Bhattacharya (CPIML)

30. D Raja (CPI)

31. Omar Abdullah (NC)

32. Mehbooba Mufti (PDP)

2. A Consensus to Contest 2024 Elections Unitedly

A UPA-like alliance seems to be in the works. The parties spoke in one voice about their agenda to topple the BJP and the Narendra Modi government in 2024. Nitish Kumar and Mallikarjun Kharge said that the next meeting will be held in Shimla tentatively on 12 July when the strategies on how the parties will contest in which state, sharing of seats, strategic contests of candidates, etc will be discussed.

3. Ideological Opponents Joining Hands

Several staunch political opponents like the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party, the Congress and the TMC, the communist parties and the TMC, the Shiv Sens and the PDP were seen sharing a stage and speaking in one voice.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that there are "minor differences" between the parties but they have decided to work together with flexibility and safeguard shared ideologies. He also said that Opposition unity is a "process" hinting at the fact that the talks are going to be long-lasting affair.

4. Mamata and Akhilesh's Changed Stand on Congress

In March this year, the Samajwadi Party and the TMC had decided to stay "equidistant" from the Congress in any possible alliance against the BJP. The two parties have clearly set aside their differences which political pandits see as a change of stance only after the party's sweep in Karnataka.

5. AAP vs Congress on the Ordinance

AAP's bid to build pressure on the Congress over the Centre's ordinance on Delhi was evident through the day. Ahead of the meeting, Kharge made it clear to the media that a decision on the ordinance within the Congress will be taken only ahead of the next Parliament session.

AAP chief national spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar, however, accused the Congress of having a "deal" with the BJP when it comes to the Delhi ordinance.

After the meeting AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Bhagwant Mann, Raghav Chadha, and Sanjay Singh skipped the press breifing. Though Nitish kumar said that AAP leader had to reach Delhi due to prior commitments, the party issued a statement soon after saying that out of all the parties present at the meet, only the Congress has not made its stand on the issue clear yet.

"Congress' silence raises suspicions on its real intentions," the AAP said.

6. Return of Lalu Prasad Yadav

The RJD supremo made a rare appearance at the event and was actually the showstopper who addressed the media after all other leaders did. He said that the people accused the Opposition of not fighting unitedly against the BJP and that is precisely why this alliance is being formed. In a light hearted conversation with Rahul gandhi, he also asked the Congress leader that it's not too late for him to get married.

7. BJP's Full-Blown Counter to the Opposition Meet

Throughout the day, several BJP leaders kept attacking the Opposition meet. 

BJP leaders including JP Nadda, Amit Shah, Smriti Irani, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Nityanand Rai, and others took jibes at the meeting with commonly repeated attacks like ideological opponents coming together for political gains, too many aspirants for the PM's chair and how PM Modi will return to power in 2024 despite an Opposition alliance.