Opposition parties reach 'consensus' to fight 2024 polls together at mega Patna meet

Accusing the BJP-led government at the Centre of "continuing to trample the democratic spirit envisaged in the country's Constitution", they said the next round of deliberations would be held tentatively on July 12 in Shimla.

At the initiative of Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar, top leaders of 15 opposition parties including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee, NCP leader Sharad Pawar among others participated in the meeting.

Although Arvind Kejriwal and his Tamil Nadu counterpart MK Stalin were absent from the joint press conference,  Nitish Kumar claimed they left as they had to rush to their flights back.

Jharkhand Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Hemant Soren, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Ministers PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, Rashtriya Janata Dal Supreme Lalu Prasad Yadav, CPI leader D Raja, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury and General Secretary of CPI(ML) Deepankar Bhattacharya also took part in the day-long deliberations.

"The next meeting of opposition leaders will take place in Shimla, tentatively on July 12. However, the date may change by a day or two due to factors relating to assembly elections in some states," said Mallikarjun Kharge at a joint press conference addressed by the leaders after the meeting.

Nitish Kumar said that a consensus has evolved to contest together the next Lok Sabha elections.

"All leaders in the meeting felt that BJP rule was not in the interest of the people and the saffron party was trying to change the history of the nation. BJP was even attempting to change the facts of the freedom struggle," he said.

"We have agreed to contest together and details would be finalised in the next meeting in Shimla," Kumar said. The Congress president would convene the next meeting.

"We all are united. We will contest together the next Lok Sabha election," Mamata Banerjee said, echoing Kumar.