Opposition parties to meet in Patna on June 12 for big 2024 Lok Sabha elections strategy session, reports NDTV.
The development comes as 20 Opposition parties, including the Congress, Left, TMC, SP and AAP, came together boycotted the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying they find no value in a new building when the "soul of democracy has been sucked out".
The parties have accused the government of ignoring President Droupadi Murmu, saying as the First citizen of the country, she should have rightfully led the inauguration ceremony.
"She (the President) alone represents government, opposition, and every citizen alike. She is the First Citizen of India. Inauguration of the new Parliament building by her will symbolise Government's commitment to Democratic values and Constitutional propriety," Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge had tweeted.
The date was decided days after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar -- who volunteered to act as the interlocutor for Opposition unity ahead of the 2024 general elections - met Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi in Delhi.
Nitish Kumar is planning to bring all like-minded opposition parties on board and has been successful getting Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav -- who have been hawkish about the Congress -- to sign up.
Mamata Banerjee has already accepted the "One-On-One" strategy pitched by Mr Kumar.
Strong regional parties should take on the BJP in 2024 on their home turfs and in turn, they would back the Congress in the 200-odd seats where the two national parties are in direct contest, she has said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is holding a meeting with the Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled states at the party headquarters in Delhi.
There will also be a discussion with all the Chief Ministers regarding the preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
BJP national president JP Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, Goa CM Pramod Sawant, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, Assam CM Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel, Nagaland Deputy CM Yanthungo Patton, Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Tripura CM Manik Saha were present at the meeting on Sunday.
The BJP meeting comes after PM Modi inaugurated the new Parliament building.
