Leaders of the united Opposition, under the banner of Indian National Developmental Democratic Alliance (I.N.D.I.A), are scheduled to hold their third meeting in Mumbai over two days — August 31 and September 1, Congress sources said on Friday.
The Opposition leaders came together to cobble up a united front against the Prime Minister-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) with an eye on next year’s Lok Sabha elections.
“The third meeting of I.N.D.I.A. parties to be held in Mumbai from August 31-01 September,” said a source in the Congress.
Though not official, word of the third Opposition meeting came on a day the Supreme Court stayed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s conviction in the criminal defamation case over the use of the ‘Modi’ surname.
The Congress leader allegedly made a snide remark using the surname ‘Modi’ during a campaign event in Karnataka in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Rahul was handed a suspended two-year sentence, thereby enabling him to challenge his conviction at a higher court.
However, following his conviction, the Lok Sabha Secretariat issued a notification disqualifying him as a member of the Lower House.
Addressing a press conference at the party’s national headquarters in New Delhi, following his reprieve on Friday, Rahul thanked the people for their love and support, saying “truth always triumphs”.
The verdict paved the way for the return of the former Congress national chief as a member of Parliament.
The first Opposition meeting hosted by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was held in Patna in June, while the second was held in Congress-ruled Karnataka.
The opposition parties have stepped up their electoral preparedness to mount a joint front against the BJP-led NDA government in view of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and assembly elections in the five states scheduled to be held later in the year.
The Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Mizoram.
Twenty-six opposition parties had named their alliance I.N.D.I.A during their meeting in Bengaluru earlier this month.