Stage set for key Opposition meet in Patna on Friday, Mamata to meet Lalu today
India TodayA galaxy of opposition leaders from nearly 20 parties is set to converge in Patna for the mega Opposition meet on Friday, where they will try to chalk out a joint strategy to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party in next year's Lok Sabha elections. The meeting was called by Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal leader Nitish Kumar, who has amplified his efforts to forge opposition unity. Several politicians such as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and its president Mallikarjun Kharge, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader MK Stalin, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister and AAP leader Bhagwant Mann, Jharkhand Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Hemant Soren, and Jammu and Kashmir's Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti are expected to take part in Friday's meeting. PREPARATIONS FOR OPPOSITION MEET Bihar Finance Minister and JD leader Vijay Kumar Choudhary said that all preparations concerning the Opposition meeting have been completed and leaders will start arriving in Patna on Thursday. According to the Bihar minister, the meeting of the opposition leaders is scheduled to take place in the Chief Minister's residence.