Opposition bloc INDIA holds informal talks; to decide on roadmap on 1 September

The run-up to the meeting saw the Adani issue take centre stage with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi holding a press conference on the premises of Grand Hyatt hotel in suburban Santacruz where the INDIA leaders had gathered.

Before the start of the meeting in the evening, Gandhi was seen chatting with Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Aaditya Thackeray and Sanjay Raut and Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP) Supriya Sule and Jayant Patil.

Uddhav Thackeray and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar were also seen sharing light moments ahead of the meeting.

Prominent Opposition leaders, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah had arrived earlier.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav, and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary, among others, arrived on Thursday.

मुंबई में INDIA गठबंधन की तीसरी बैठक।

जुड़ेगा भारत, जीतेगा INDIA 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/t3Ii7qgjHB

— Congress (@INCIndia) August 31, 2023

Likely to announce Coordination Committee

The INDIA bloc is likely to announce a Coordination Committee as well as unveil a logo for the alliance.

Ahead of the crucial third round of discussions, the alliance on Thursday exuded confidence that it would provide a formidable alternative to the BJP.

The Opposition alliance has claimed that it now has 28 members with the addition of the Peasants and Workers Party of India (PWP), a Marxist political party from Maharashtra, and another outfit, on whose name there was no clarity.

Sources said that three northeastern parties wished to join the alliance and this, too, would be discussed at the meeting.

Alliance leaders had earlier met in Patna and Bengaluru. At the Mumbai meeting, they are expected to chalk out a common campaign strategy to take on the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The Opposition alliance is likely to announce a coordination committee of 11 members who would be from principal Opposition parties and unveil a logo for the bloc.

Also read: PM Modi murdered the idea of India, says Rahul Gandhi

To decide on a convenor

It is also likely to hold discussions on whether to have a convenor or not, and whether there will be some sub-groups to handle seat sharing, agitational joint programmes, communication strategy and chalk out a common minimum programme.

Earlier in the day, several leaders of the alliance said they have come together to save the Constitution and democracy in the country.

Former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav said the need of the hour was to strengthen the unity and sovereignty of the country, and to protect the Constitution and democracy.

“The Modi government has failed to address the issues of poverty, unemployment and welfare of farmers. At the INDIA alliance meeting, we will work on evolving a common programme. We have to contest elections one-on-one (put up common candidates against the BJP),” the RJD leader said.

Yadav’s son and Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav said the “Maha Gathbandhan” (grand alliance) came to power in Bihar last August and Lalu Prasad Yadav and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar decided to work on getting all like-minded parties on board for a larger Opposition alliance.

“A year later, we are meeting in Mumbai for the third time as an INDIA alliance,” he said.

People wanted a proper alternative and the INDIA alliance was offering it, Tejashwi Yadav said, adding that people would give a befitting reply to “those who divide society”.

Also read: PM Modi compares Opposition front INDIA with terror outfit

‘Youth is the strength of the country’

Leader of Kashmir’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti said the youth were the strength of the country.

“Leaders from Jawaharlal Nehru to Manmohan Singh worked to give a direction to the youth and set up institutions like JNU, IIMs, ISRO,” she said.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha claimed that the BJP feared the INDIA alliance.

“They have hatred for the word INDIA and are even linking the name to a terror outfit. It is not just hatred but also fear about (what) if the alliance succeeds,” he said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said the INDIA alliance leaders came together to protect democracy and the Constitution.

RJD leader Manoj Jha said the alliance was working to unite the country. It was not just a coalition of parties but that of ideas, he said.

The country needs healing, and this coalition was for rebuilding the nation and showing a mirror to the ruling party, Jha added.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury claimed that people’s response to INDIA had “unnerved” the prime minister and the BJP.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP and Congress has formed several committees to plan various aspects of the meeting of the opposition bloc. This is the first meeting of the INDIA alliance in a state where none of the bloc members are in power. Unity would be the key focus of the meeting.

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