The oath-taking of the Congress government in Karnataka today is set to be a stage for opposition unity, with the presence of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, National Conference President Farooq Abdullah and several other leaders from the non-BJP bloc. The gathering signifies a collective effort in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has extended invitations to leaders from various political parties, including JMM, RJD, Shiv Sena, SP, PDP, CPI(M), CPI, MDMK, RSP, CPI(ML), VCK, RLD, Kerala Congress, and IUML, for the swearing-in ceremony.
While the event aims to promote opposition unity, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee will not be in attendance, making her absence conspicuous. However, TMC will send in its representative to make the party’s presence felt on the occasion.
The Congress had triumphed in Karnataka by winning 135 out of 224 seats in the southern state while the ruling BJP was reduced to 66 seats. The JD-S which was hoping to play the role of ‘kingmaker’ in the state was also reduced to 19 seats.
With inputs from News18
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