Let’s unite against BJP, PM Narendra Modi-face not priority: Opposition at Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin birthday

CHENNAI: Chief minister and DMK president M K Stalin's 70th birthday turned out to be a virtual launchpad for many anti-BJP parties' campaign for the 2024 general elections.
While Stalin discarded the idea of a third front and called for opposition unity, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge said the PM candidate is not a priority now; defeating the BJP is. Sharing the dais were National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav.
DMK sources said only these four leaders were invited for the rally. Neither West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee nor her Telangana counterpart K Chandrashekar Rao was present.
Stalin was upfront. "Talks of a third front are pointless. I request all the parties opposed to the BJP to understand this simple electoral arithmetic and stand united," he said. "This is not my birthday meeting, it's the inaugural event for India's new politics," he said. Turning to Kharge, Stalin said one of the resolutions of the 85th plenary session of the Congress, that the party was ready to work with like-minded parties, was the "ideal birthday gift" for him.
Stalin said, the 2024 general elections are not about who should win, but about who should not win," said. "We must defeat the BJP which is trying to divide a united India by communal fascism and turn it into an autocracy," said Stalin.
Earlier, Kharge too called for unity. "All like-minded opposition parties should come together in the fight against divisive forces. I never said who will lead, who will become the Prime Minister," said Kharge.
Farooq Abdullah asked Stalin to elevate himself to national politics. Tejashwi Yadav said democracy is in danger. Akhilesh Yadav appreciated Stalin for the work undertaken on education and in coordinating various parties under the social justice league. Speaking last, Stalin said the BJP is waging a war against states governed by the opposition.
"The 2024 election is an opportunity to win our ideological battle. Let us unite and march towards victory," he said, adding that the arguments of certain individuals on the formation of non-Congress coalition "would not reach the shore", and any post-poll alliance is "practically not workable".