Mobilenews24x7 Bureau

Democracy rests on the rock-bed of consensus and dissent  is the ‘safety valve’ of democracy. If opposition voice is stifled and freedom of speech becomes weak-kneed then change remains to be the only panacea left out.

Regardless of the success or the failure of the Grand Alliance initiative by Nitish Kumar, the Bihar CM, such beginnings are not merely to contest but is also seen as a vigil for the ruling dispensation anywhere and in any democracy.

The absolutism playing out itself since last few years under the NDA rule, not politicians (where no one is a holy cow regardless of party) has touched the throbbing nerves of the common man, change is the only life-line one can bank upon.

A crucial meeting of top leaders of opposition parties across the country is all set to begin here on Friday to forge national-level unity among them to counter BJP in 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The meeting convened here at the initiative of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, is being attended by top leaders of opposition parties across the country. Kumar after deserting NDA in August last year had joined hands with RJD to form the Grand Alliance government in Bihar and announced that he would strive for national level unity of opposition parties to ensure BJP’s defeat in the Lok Sabha elections.
Top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, party president Mallikarjun Kharge, senior party leader K C Venugopal, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC leader Mamata Banerjee, AAP supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti, Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, CPI leader D Raja, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury and General Secretary of CPI(ML) Deepankar Bhattacharya are among prominent opposition leaders who arrived here to participate in the meeting.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee after her arrival here on Thursday had told media persons that all attempts would be made to field one common opposition candidate against BJP in next Lok Sabha elections.
Discussion would be held in the meeting to find ways how to achieve the goal of fighting one to one against BJP in Lok Sabha elections, Mamata had told but refused to share details saying she would talk to media after the meeting on Friday.