'United We Stand' is Opposition's slogan as leaders begin 2-day brainstorming session

Bengaluru: With a call for unity, top leaders of 26 opposition parties began crucial deliberations on Monday to chalk out their joint programme aimed at defeating the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee, who were seated next to each other, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, chief ministers M K Stalin, Nitish Kumar, Arvind Kejriwal and Hemant Soren and RJD chief Lalu Prasad were among those who attended the dinner meeting where discussions were held to finalise the agenda for the formal talks starting Tuesday morning.

Sources said NCP chief Sharad Pawar was the only leader among the invitees not present at the meeting at Taj West End Hotel and he would arrive on Tuesday along with his daughter Supriya Sule. "It was a good meeting," Mamata Banerjee later said. The leaders sat in front of a huge banner with "United We Stand" slogan, which was also put on posters that dotted the streets of Bengaluru with pictures of opposition leaders.

Among others at the meeting hosted by Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah were Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), Akhilesh Yadav (SP), Farooq Abdullah (NC) and Mehbooba Mufti (PDP), besides Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), D Raja (CPI) and Jayant Chaudhary (RLD). A warm welcome was earlier accorded here to all the leaders on their arrival here for the two-day brain-storming session. The Congress asserted that Opposition unity would be "a game changer" for the Indian political scenario.