Opposition Meeting in Patna Today Live Updates: Top leaders of at least 15 Opposition parties including the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Trinamool Congress (TMC), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Shiv Sena (UBT), Samajwadi Party (SP), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), and others attended the grand meeting in Patna led by Bihar chief minister and Janata Dal (United) JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar.
Addressing the media after the meeting, Nitish Kumar thanked all leaders present as they addressed the media after the conclusion of the meeting.
"There was consensus on fighting elections together. The next meeting will happen in a few days. Mallikarjun Kharge will lead the meeting next month. In that meeting, things like who will contest where will be finalised," Kumar said.
Here are the statements given by key leaders at the press briefing:
Who all were present at the meeting?
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, NCP president Sharad Pawar, NCP working presidents Supriya Sule and Praful Patel, PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti, JKNC leader Omar Abdullah, and CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury were present at the meeting.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren being welcomed by JD-U leaders on his arrival for the opposition parties meeting, at Patna Airport, Friday, June 23, 2023.
(Photo: PTI)
Key developments that took place ahead of the meeting:
Ahead of the meet, Nitish Kumar on Thursday met AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Bhagwant Mann, and Raghav Chadha in the backdrop of the party's agenda on getting the Opposition's support to quash the Delhi ordinance by the Centre.
Kharge on Friday said that the Congress will decided on the issue of supporting AAP on the matter of Delhi ordinance ahead of the next Parliament session.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar said that issues plaguing the country, including Manipur violence, will be discussed in the meeting.
"If democracy has to survive after 2024, all political leaders of Opposition parties will have to show a big heart for national interest," the Shiv Sena (UBT) said.
Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary skipped the meet citing a prior commitment.
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AAP Condemns Congress
The AAP skipped the press conference addressed after the opposition meeting.
Later, in a statement released on Twitter, AAP condemned the Congress for not supporting it against the Delhi Oridinance.
The statement said that out of all the parties that attended the meet, “12 have representation in the Rajya Sabha. Except for the Indian National Congress all others have clearly expressed their stand against the ordinance and announced that they would oppose it in the Rajya Sabha”.
“The Congress, a national party that takes a stand on almost all issues, is yet to make public its position on the Black Ordinance”, the statement rued, adding that Delhi and Punjab units were of the view “the party should support the Modi government on the issue”.
'No Decision on PM Candidate': Stalin
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin said, "A consultative meeting of various opposition parties was held in Bihar today to save India's democracy. All opposition parties have a single goal to defeat BJP."
"No decision was taken on PM candidate in the meeting," Stalin said in Chennai.
'Nothing Common in Oppn Parties': BJP's Shahnawaz Hussain
Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain also hit out at opposition parties saying, "They don't have a common ideology, they are just a bunch of unsatisfied people who gathered here today against PM Modi."
'Unholy Alliance': Smriti Irani
In view of the opposition meeting, Union Minister Smriti Irani said, "AAP blackmailing (Congress) at the very beginning of 'gathbandhan' is proof of what will come out of this unholy alliance."
She further added that, "No one can stop Narendra Modi from becoming the Prime Minister in 2024. This alliance of selfishness is targeting India. Whenever these political parties came together, they brought along corruption and familism."