Launching a scathing attack on Friday’s Opposition meeting in Patna, Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Saturday said that the stage is set and a drama troupe is gathering ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.

He also said that they (opposition leaders) talk about forming an alliance but their attempt would be of no use. On Friday, the Opposition meeting had been called to forge opposition unity to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
“The stage (opposition meeting) is set, and the drama troupe has assembled (Rang Manch Saj Chuka Hai…Natak Mandli Ekatrit Ho Chuki Hai). The most corrupt leaders join the set-up,” said Thakur while speaking to reporters in Haryana’s Panipat.

“Though they talk about forming an alliance but fail miserably,” he added. Thakur further said that about fifteen leaders addressed a press conference, but fail to give a proper response to any of the questions asked by the media.

“Fifteen people address a joint press conference, but their statements differ from each other, and they do not give a proper answer to any of the questions of media. How did they together share the same stage, where Mamta Banerjee tells Congress to leave Bengal, Akhilesh says leave UP, and Lalu-Nitish say leave Bihar? Seems like Congress will be left alone to put only chairs in the alliance,” said Thakur.

He added that this alliance does not have a leader, intention or policies.
More than 15 opposition parties attended the meeting held at Nitish Kumar’s official residence in Patna.

The mega event was attended by Chief Ministers of several opposition-ruled states including Mamata Banerjee and some other prominent leaders from parties opposed to the BJP.

Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal-United leader Nitish Kumar, who had convened the meeting of opposition leaders, said at the joint press conference that opposition parties decided to fight the elections together.

The Opposition parties picked Patna as a venue for its meeting as it represents the 1974 call of total revolution by Jayaprakash Narayan that toppled Indira Gandhi’s majority government.
The next meeting of the Opposition parties would be held in Shimla next month, announced Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.