Opposition Parties Rally Around Social Justice As Key 2024 Theme

As opposition parties get together for a big meeting today to set the ball rolling for the 2024 national election and their plans for a united fight against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, social justice is emerging as a central theme.

Top leaders of several opposition parties started arriving in Patna yesterday for the meeting called by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is at the forefront of opposition unity moves.

The leaders will meet at Nitish Kumar's home in Patna for discussions aimed at a roadmap for an anti-BJP front for next year's elections.

Various opposition parties are assessing the potential for constructing a campaign centred around social justice, in an effort to counterbalance what they perceive as the waning appeal of polarising Hindutva politics, which has long overshadowed the widening chasm between the dominant and marginalised communities.

This is likely to become a major point of discussion at Opposition meetings starting today, with three key parties closely coordinating strategy - Congress, Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal United and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav's RJD.

One of the primary drivers of the emphasis on social justice is the call for a caste census; Nitish Kumar was among the prominent advocates pushing for a caste-based count and even initiated a survey in his state, which was halted last month by a court.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also pitched for a caste census during his campaign in Karnataka, where the party scored a big election victory, defeating the BJP.

"Jitni abaadi utna haq (a share of benefits according to the share in population)," Rahul Gandhi said in an election speech, articulating the Congress's new campaign focus. In April, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge had written to PM Modi demanding a caste census.

Taking a leaf out of Bihar's book and following Rahul Gandhi's declaration, the Congress government in Rajasthan recently announced a caste census.

Party sources say removing the 50 per cent cap on reservations will be the next priority after a caste census. In Karnataka, the Congress promised 75 percent quotas.

Besides the Congress, Nitish Kumar's party, and RJD, other parties like the DMK have also aligned themselves with this theme.

The DMK, which rules Tamil Nadu, held a social justice meeting and demanded a caste census and reservations based on caste count.

At the opposition meeting, parties are expected to discuss the basic outline for opposition unity, avoiding more complicated and divisive subjects like seat-sharing and leadership for now.

Congress's Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, Jharkhand's Hemant Soren, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and NCP leader Sharad Pawar will attend the meeting.

Leaders of the National Conference, PDP, and the Left are also expected to attend the opposition meeting.

On Thursday, Arvind Kejriwal warned that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would walk out of the meeting if the Congress did not support its fight against the Centre's ordinance on the control of services in Delhi.

Amid signs of fissures even before the gathering, Mamata Banerjee told reporters after meeting Tejashwi Yadav and his father Lalu Yadav: "I cannot say anything now. We have come here as we will fight together, one on one (against the BJP). We will fight together like a joint family."