Patna (Bihar): Leaders of 17 Opposition parties met in Patna on Friday last, where they vowed to fight the 2024 Lok Sabha elections together. The next meeting of the Opposition parties will now be held at Shimla in Himachal Pradesh on July 12. Now, it has emerged that the alliance is likely to be known as the 'Patriotic Democratic Alliance (PDA)'.
Communist Party of India (CPI) General Secretary D Raja issued a press release regarding his party's action plan after the Opposition meeting, which was convened by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at his residence. In the press statement, the term Patriotic Democratic Alliance (PDA) was used for this alliance. Sources in the know-how have said that this name can get a stamp in the Shima meeting, which will be convened by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge. It is likely that the name Patriotic Democratic Alliance (PDA) will be announced after the Shimla meeting.
"It was resolved to remove the BJP and save the country. Now further the PDA meeting will be held in Shimla, in which the action plan of the alliance will be given a detailed shape," the CPI has stated in the press release. During the CPI press conference held in Patna on Saturday, state secretary Ramnaresh Pandey also mentioned that the meeting of the 'Patriotic Democratic Alliance' had taken place.
Also read: Opposition parties vow to fight together in 2024; next meeting in Shimla
RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) president Uddhav Thackeray, Jharkhand Chief Minister and JMM leader Hemant Soren, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Ministers Membooba Mufti (PDP), Omar Abdullah (National Conference), CPI leader D Raja, CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK leader MK Stalin among others had attended the crucial meeting.
Meanwhile, Congress Legislature Party leader in Bihar Shakeel Ahmed Khan has said that no decision has been taken yet on the name of the alliance. "The decision on the name of the alliance will be taken in the meeting to be held in Shimla next month," he said. Shakeel Ahmed Khan further said all the Opposition parties are preparing for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. "It is very important to defeat BJP's ideology as it believes in the ideology of Nathuram Godse, who killed Mahatma Gandhi. The Congress and other Opposition parties follow the ideology of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, who believed in the Indian constitution," he added.
