As the Opposition parties are all set to assemble for the second meeting on July 18 in Bengaluru, both senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi will participate in the event. It has been reported that 24 parties have been invited for the meeting, including the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
A day before the meeting, Sonia Gandhi is likely to host a dinner for the opposition party leaders which is seen as a part of the ongoing attempts to unify the non-BJP parties against the BJP ahead of the 2024 national election.
As per media reports, eight new parties are likely to join the meeting on Monday which include the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), Kongu Desa Makkal Katchi (KDMK), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), All India Forward Bloc, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Kerala Congress (Joseph), and Kerala Congress (Mani).
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Amongst the new parties, KDMK and MDMK were allies of the BJP for the 2014 election.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who is Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, sent out invites to top opposition leaders and referred to the first meeting in Patna.
"The meeting was a great success as we were able to discuss various important issues that threaten our democratic polity and came to a unanimous agreement on unitedly fighting the next General Elections," Mr Kharge said in the letter.
"I believe that it is important to continue these discussions and build on the momentum that we have created. We need to work together to find solutions to the challenges that our country is facing," he wrote.
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RJD chief Lalu Yadav, who has been unwell, has confirmed to be present at the Bengaluru meeting.
