The meeting is likely to chart out a roadmap for evolving a structure for cooperation among the alliance partners to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Opposition bloc INDIA meeting in Mumbai. (INCIndia/ X)
The Union government’s sudden decision to convene a special five-day session of Parliament from 18 September is set to be the major talking point in opposition bloc’s meeting in Mumbai on Friday, 1 September.
The third meeting of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc got underway at Grand Hyatt Hotel at 10:30 am. As many as 63 representatives from 28 political parties were attending the conclave.
Unveiling the INDIA bloc’s logo, and charting out a roadmap for evolving a structure for cooperation among the alliance partners to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls would be on the agenda.
The meeting might also discuss formulating a common minimum programme and forming a coordination committee of the principal opposition parties.
It was earlier reported that the opposition bloc’s logo would be unveiled ahead of the meeting. After the discussions, the leaders would brief the media.
Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan said talks would be held on the formation of coordination committees and appointing a convener. “It will be known after the meeting if a decision has been arrived at,” he said.
During an informal meeting of the alliance partners held at the hotel on Thursday, 31 August, most leaders stressed the need to discuss seat sharing at the national level and finalise the process of poll preparations as soon as possible.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said his party demanded discussion on nationwide seat-sharing. When asked what transpired at the informal meeting, the Delhi chief minister said his party sought seat-sharing discussions for all the states.
“The meeting was good,” he said. Meanwhile, when asked if seat-sharing was discussed, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said, “It will be discussed soon.”
The push for discussion on seat-sharing seems to have been aggravated by speculations of the Narendra Modi government possibly bringing in key legislation in the special September session with an intent to call for early elections.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav and CPI general secretary D Raja arrived in Mumbai on Wednesday, 30 August, for the meeting.
AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, senior party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and others arrived on Thursday.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray hosted a dinner after the informal meeting on Thursday.
It was learnt that during the informal meeting, the leaders deliberated on setting the agenda of the formal meeting, where key decisions about the alliance’s future strategy would be made.
Ahead of the crucial third round of discussions, the alliance exuded confidence that it would provide a formidable alternative to bring a political change in the country and asserted that it has several prime ministerial faces, unlike the BJP.
Several leaders of the alliance on Thursday said they have come together to save the Constitution and democracy and would evolve a common programme as they prepare to take on the ruling BJP.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said defeating the INDIA alliance was not only difficult, but impossible.
Former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav said the need of the hour was to strengthen the unity and sovereignty of the country and protect the Constitution and democracy.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the formation of the INDIA alliance was aimed at saving the country, while his Jharkhand counterpart Hemant Soren said parties taking part in the meeting would deliberate on their views about the country, its democracy and the Constitution.
CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury claimed that people’s response to INDIA has “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. The bloc’s first meeting was held in Patna, Bihar, in June, followed by the second in Bengaluru in July.
After the meeting, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit Tilak Bhavan, the party’s state unit headquarters in Mumbai, to meet leaders and workers, party sources said.
The BJP on Thursday dubbed the opposition bloc’s meeting as a “desperate attempt” for survival and asserted that there was no vacancy for the PM’s post in 2024.
Senior BJP leader and MP Dilip Ghosh said the opposition bloc of parties with divergent views and interests reflected their desperate attempt to protect their identities.
He further said, “This is a desperate attempt by the opposition parties to protect their identities. We have seen such opportunistic attempts in 2014 and 2019 and also the results.”
“The CPI(M) and Congress should first explain whether they support the corruption of TMC in Bengal. The people of this country trust BJP regarding good governance and national security, and there is no vacancy for the prime minister’s post,” he said.
(With PTI inputs)
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