The Opposition alliance of 26 parties got a new name on Tuesday -- INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) -- and decided to hold the next round of deliberations in Mumbai as curtains came down on the two-day meeting in Bengaluru.
A slew of decisions were taken to iron out communication points for the Opposition alliance and a 'Samuhik Sankalp' (joint resolution) was passed demanding the implementation of the caste census.
While the first day saw informal discussions followed by a dinner meeting hosted by Sonia Gandhi, Tuesday saw formal deliberations in the meeting, which was also attended by NCP supremo Sharad Pawar.
Opposition Meeting In Bengaluru: Here Are The Highlights
- An 11-member committee will be set up for coordination among the Opposition parties. The composition of the panel will be finalised in the next meeting in Mumbai.
- The opposition alliance that will take on the ruling NDA in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections will be called Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).
- A common secretariat will be set up in Delhi for poll campaign management of the Opposition bloc.
- Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge took a jibe at the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) meeting of 38 parties in New Delhi, saying PM Modi was trying to join all 'tukde' (factions) now. "I don't know whether they are registered parties. Earlier, they didn't care about their allies," he said.
- In their joint resolution, the parties vowed to defeat the "hatred and violence being manufactured against minorities" as well as "rising crimes against women, Dalits, tribals and Kashmiri Pandits".
- During the meeting, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge made it clear that the party was not interested in power or the post of prime minister. In his inaugural address, Kharge said, "Our intention in this meeting is not to gain power for ourselves. It is to protect our Constitution, democracy, secularism and social justice".
- In her address, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the Centre's only job was to buy and sell governments. "BJP, can you challenge INDIA? We love our motherland, we are the patriotic people of the country, we are for farmers, Dalits, we are for country, for the world," she said.
- Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal said PM Modi made a "complete mess of almost every sector in his 10-year rule". "Its time to get rid of him," Kejriwal said.
- Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that the INDIA's fight was against the BJP and PM Modi's ideology.
- Former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray hit back at PM Modi's "dynast" jibe. "Some people are saying that we are fighting to save our families. Yes, the country is our family and we are fighting together to save it," he said.