Bengaluru, Jul 18 (IANS): In a major development, 26 political parties from across the country, meeting in Bengaluru, on Tuesday decided to come together under the banner of India (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) to fight the 2024 Lok Sabha elections against the BJP.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge made the announcement at a joint press conference following the deliberations.

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress head Mamata Banerjee, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, Shiv Sena-UBT chief and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, who spoke in the conference, pledged to defeat the BJP-led NDA and save the country.

Addressing reporters after the meet, Kharge said: "This is a very important meeting to save democracy, and the Constitution. The meeting was convened in the interest of the country.

“We have come together, discussed various points and with one voice made a resolution."

“Our alliance will be called India. Earlier, we worked within the UPA. Now, the new name is Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (India). The hosting of the meeting in the state is a great achievement,” he maintained.

There will be an 11-member co-ordination committee. It will be set up shortly and names will be decided. There will be a secretariat for campaign management. The office will be in New Delhi.

The next meeting will be held in Mumbai, Kharge announced.

"The meeting discussed today’s situation in the country. The BJP has destroyed democracy, Constitution in India. It has used autonomous bodies like the CBI, the ED, and Vigilance against the opposition leaders.

“We have come together against this and discussed how to save the country and the people of the country,” he said.

Kharge also noted that the previous meet was held in Patna where 16 parties were there and now 26 parties are here.

"After seeing everything, PM Modi is calling an NDA meeting with 30 parties. I don’t know whether they are registered political parties with the EC. Earlier they never cared for their alliance partners. Now, the party President J.P. Nadda is visiting every state. It means that now they are afraid of opposition parties. Earlier they were not bothered," Kharge said.

"The allies gathered here want to save democracy and fight against unemployment. “Now, our aim would be to take important issues one by one in all states and highlight the failures of the BJP government,” he stated.

Opposition's 'India' promises to present alternative political, social, and economic agenda for nati

The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (India), the new block of 26 opposition parties against the ruling BJP also took a pledge to present to the nation an alternative political, social, and economic agenda.

The agenda was signed by all the parties at the opposition parties meeting here.

The joint statement of the parties said: "We promise to transform both the substance and style of governance that will be more consultative, democratic and participative. We, the undersigned leaders of India’s 26 progressive parties, express our steadfast resolve to safeguard the idea of India as enshrined in the Constitution.

"The character of our republic is being severely assaulted in a systematic manner by the BJP. We are at a most crucial juncture in our nation’s history. The foundational pillars of the Indian Constitution – secular democracy, economic sovereignty, social justice, and federalism – are being methodically and menacingly undermined."

"We are determined to combat and confront the continuing assault on the Constitution and on constitutional rights of democratically elected state governments. There is a deliberate attempt to weaken the federal structure of our polity. The role of Governors and LGs in non-BJP ruled states has exceeded all constitutional norms. The brazen misuse of agencies by the BJP government against political rivals is undermining our democracy. Legitimate needs, requirements and entitlements of non BJP ruled states are being actively denied by the Centre."

On Manipur, it said:"We express our grave concern over the humanitarian tragedy that has destroyed Manipur. The silence of the Prime Minister is shocking and unprecedented. There is an urgent need to bring Manipur back on the path of peace and reconciliation."

The joint statement also said the opposition bloc "reinforce our resolve to confront the grave economic crisis of ever-rising prices of essential commodities and record unemployment".

"Demonetisation brought with it untold misery to the MSME and unorganised sectors, resulting in large scale unemployment among our youth. We oppose the reckless sale of the nation’s wealth to favoured friends. We must build a fair economy with a strong and strategic public sector as well as a competitive and flourishing private sector, in which the spirit of enterprise is fostered and given every opportunity to expand."

"The welfare of Kisan and Khet Mazdur should always get the highest priority."

It also demanded a stop to hate politics and holding of a Caste Census.

"We have come together to defeat the hatred and violence being manufactured against minorities; stop the rising crimes against women, Dalits, Adivasis and Kashmiri Pandits; demand a fair hearing for all socially, educationally and economically backward communities; and, as a first step, implement the Caste Census.

"We resolve to fight the systemic conspiracy by BJP to target, persecute and suppress our fellow Indians. Their poisonous campaign of hate has led to vicious violence against all those opposed to the ruling party and its divisive ideology. These attacks are not only violating constitutional rights and freedoms but also eroding the basic values upon which the Republic of India is founded - Liberty, Equality and Fraternity and Justice – Political, Economic and Social. The repeated attempts by the BJP to vitiate public discourse by reinventing and rewriting Indian history are an affront to social harmony. Jai Hind."