NB Explains | Opposition parties rename their alliance from UPA to I.N.D.I.A. Here's what it stands for

The day 2 of the opposition parties meeting in Bengaluru has made an important decision regarding the renaming of UPA (United Progressive Alliance). As per the reports, the alliance of 26 parties has been named I-N-D-I-A, an acronym for 'Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance'.

 

 

Some leaders of the opposition parties also tweeted about the 'INDIA' name for the opposition parties alliance. Priyanka Chaturvedi of the Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) group dropped a hint and tweeted about the probable new name of the UPA alliance.

 

Sources said the parties are also likely to issue a joint declaration and finalise a committee for the functioning of the grouping. As per sources, the name of former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi as chairperson of the new grouping is also suggested. She was the chairperson of UPA 1 and 2, which remained in government from 2004 to 2014.

 

 

The opposition parties are holding the second round of talks in Bengaluru on July 17-18. A dinner was held in Bengaluru as a show of strength by the opposition parties on Monday (July 17) evening. Close to 50 leaders from 25 opposition parties reached Bengaluru on Monday to participate in the meeting. NCP chief Sharad Pawar reached Bengaluru on Tuesday (July 18) morning to participate on day 2 of the meeting.

 

Top opposition leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, chief ministers of West Bengal, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, and former chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra along with party presidents and leaders of several parties were present at the meeting on Tuesday.

 

 

 

Among others at the meeting hosted by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah were Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), Akhilesh Yadav (SP), Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena-UBT), Farooq Abdullah (NC) and Mehbooba Mufti (PDP), besides Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), D Raja (CPI), Jayant Chaudhary (RLD) and MDMK MP Vaiko.

 

Fifteen parties, including the Congress, TMC, AAP, CPI, CPI-M, RJD, JMM, NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT), SP and the JDU, attended the last meeting for opposition unity hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna on June 23.

 

Among the parties added this time are the MDMK, KDMK, VCK, RSP, CPI-ML, Forward Bloc, IUML, Kerala Congress (Joseph) and the Kerala Congress (Mani), besides the Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) of Krishna Patel and Tamil Nadu's Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) led by M H Jawahirullah.

 

PM Narendra Modi on Tuesday (July 18), speaking during the inauguration of the new integrated terminal building of Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair, came down heavily on the opposition parties meeting in Bengaluru. On the joint Opposition meeting in Bengaluru, PM Modi said "People of the country say that this is a 'Kattar Bhrashtachar Sammelan'.

 

Another speciality of this meeting is that if someone is out on bail in a corruption of crores of Rupees, they are seen with great respect. If the entire family is out on bail, they are more honoured...If someone insults a community and is punished by the court, he is honoured." "These people want to make the country's democracy and constitution hostage," added PM Modi.