Opposition leaders of 26 parties gather in Bengaluru on the joint Opposition meeting

#WATCH | Karnataka | Opposition leaders of 26 parties gather in Bengaluru on the second day of the joint Opposition meeting. Congress Parliamentary party chairperson Mrs Sonia Gandhi, Congress President Mr Mallikarjun kharge & Mr Rahul Gandhi reach Mr T John's residence, in Bengaluru, to pay tributes to former Kerala Chief Minister Mr Oommen Chandy. Mr Chandy’s mortal remains are at former Karnataka Minister Mr John’s residence. Opposition meet LIVE: Fight is against BJP, its ideology, says Rahul Gandhi Opposition Meet in Bengaluru Live updates: Over 50 leaders attended the discussion on Monday following which Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah hosted a dinner. Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attend the second day of the joint Opposition meeting, in Bengaluru. Opposition Meet in Bengaluru Live updates: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said his party is not interested in the Prime Minister’s chair but in preserving the idea of India, the Constitution, secularism, and democracy. Addressing the second meeting of the Opposition parties, Kharge said there are differences among them at the state level, which can be put aside to protect the people. Non-BJP leaders of 26 parties came together for the second meeting in Bengaluru on Tuesday to stitch a united alliance against the NDA in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. As the Congress top brass assembled for the day two discussions, senior party leader Oommen Chandy passed away in the city's Chinmaya Mission Hospital in the early hours of Tuesday following prolonged illness. Although the formal meeting was scheduled to begin at 11 am, it began nearly an hour later as several Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Rahul Gandhi went to the residence of former Karnataka minister T John's residence in Bengaluru to pay their last respects to former Kerala CM Chandy. NCP chief Sharad Pawar was also in attendance for the second meeting after skipping the dinner party on day 1. Read: ‘From 24 in Patna to 26 parties in Bengaluru meet… PM Modi baffled’: Congress Over 50 leaders from different parties attended the informal discussion on Monday following which Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah hosted a dinner. Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar has been assigned to overlook the preparations for the meeting. Read: Bengaluru Opposition meet: Who are attending the key huddle? See full list The second meeting comes just a month after the mega Opposition meet in Patna convened by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. Initially scheduled to be held at Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, it was moved to Bengaluru due to the weather conditions in the hill state. After the meeting concluded, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that like-minded opposition parties will work together to foster an agenda of social justice, inclusive development and national welfare. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA has also announced a big huddle in New Delhi on July 18, where nearly 38 parties are expected to join. Follow NDA meeting LIVE updates Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at the BJP for calling a meeting of its alliance partners when the opposition parties joined hands to challenge the saffron party, saying the NDA is “being sought to be revived years after it had become a farce.” TMC after oppn meet; BJP says no vacancy for PM's post Soon after the conclave of the top leaders of 26 non-BJP parties in Bengaluru, the Trinamool Congress hailed the coalition named ‘INDIA’ formed for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and asserted that the days of the NDA are numbered. The opposition alliance that will take on the NDA ruling at the Centre and an 11-member committee will be set up for coordination, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced after the meeting in the Karnataka capital. A fight for idea of India: Rahul Gandhi after joint Oppn meet Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Tuesday the Opposition was in a fight to save the country. Speaking at the joint press conference at the end of the second joint Opposition meeting in Bengaluru on Tuesday, the Congress leader said the fight was not between two alliances standing on the opposite ends of the political spectrum but one to defend "the idea of India". "The idea of India is under attack today. The idea of an inclusive India is being attacked by the ideology of the BJP," Rahul said at the joint press congference on Tuesday. FTv India