On Friday, leaders of India's 17 political parties agreed to form a united front against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The Indian Express reported that loose alliances have been formed in the past, but not since the 1980s have so many different parties come together at the national level to take over the ruling party in government.
"There certainly will be some differences among us but we have decided we will work together, work with flexibility," said Rahul Gandhi, a key figure in the Indian National Congress (INC), who was disqualified from parliament in March in a defamation case.
The meeting was hosted by Nitish Kumar, the Chief Minister of the eastern state of Bihar, and was held in Patna, the state capital.
The meeting brought together senior politicians from a wide range of parties who were determined to deny Modi a third term as prime minister.
"If this dictatorial government returns this time, there will be no elections in future," The Hindu reported West Bangal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as saying.
However, representatives of some parties sat at the press conference that followed the meeting on Friday.
The Times of India reported that the Aam Aadmi Party will not join any alliance with the INC until it condemns the controversial central government decree affecting appointed bureaucrats in the capital.
On the other hand, the BJP dismissed the opposition talks as a "futile exercise."
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