Opposition leaders proceed to Alipore’s Shoujonya Bhawan after rally, meetings to continue there

Regional party leaders from all over the country arrived in Kolkata to attend the United India Rally hosted by Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Tipped to be a great show of strength against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections in May, the rally will be followed by meetings at Shoujonya Bhawan in Alipore.

A former Prime Minister, several former and present chief ministers and former union ministers are here to attend the meeting as state guests. They have been greeted with flower bouquets and gifts from Biswa Bangla and ‘uttariyas’ carrying the Trinamool Congress emblem by the Chief Minister at the Brigade Rally.

After the rally, the leaders will meet at Shoujonya Bhawan in Alipore where meetings to strategise on the future course of action will take place. Banerjee has maintained that regional parties should strengthen their positions in their own bastions to take up leadership roles in the mahagathbandhan against the current regime.  Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda has showered praise on Banerjee saying that she has taken a ’historic decision’ to unite the opposition against the BJP. Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav said that the ‘call for change will be from Bengal’.

The meetings at Shoujonya Bhawan will focus on consolidating the position of regional parties to assume leadership roles for the united opposition front against the BJP.