On July 17-18, a meeting of the opposition leaders in Bengaluru is to take place , whereby 24 parties have been invited.  Sonia Gandhi will attend this meeting .  It’s the first kind of meeting to forge unity ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls . On July 17 an informal setting of the leaders  of 24 political parties will take place followed by formal interaction on July 18 .  Issues related to the parties broad agreement will be discussed . On July 17 eight new parties are likely to join , they are – Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), Kongu Desa Makkal Katchi (KDMK), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), All India Forward Bloc, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Kerala Congress (Joseph), and Kerala Congress (Mani) . After Ajit Pawar’s rebellion against Sharad Pawar in Maharashtra and a split in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the meeting got rescheduled to July 17 from July 13.  To take BJP against the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, 15 parties had resolved but with certain fissures later it was decided such gathering  would be difficult for it to be part of any such gathering in the future till the Congress publicly supports it on the Delhi ordinance.