INDIA Alliance Mumbai Meet Highlights: Oppn Bloc's Meeting Ends; Kejriwal Talks About Seat Sharing Formula

Leaders of at least 26 opposition parties, under the umbrella of the INDIA alliance, on Thursday held talks in Mumbai to chart out a concrete roadmap and evolve a structure for cooperation among the alliance partners to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

All top opposition leaders including Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Sharad Pawar, Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Uddhav Thackeray, and Arvind Kejriwal among others were present at the “informal” huddle at Grand Hyatt hotel here. Key decisions about the alliance’s future strategy will be taken at the formal meeting on Friday. Thackeray hosted a dinner for the INDIA leaders after the meeting. READ MORE

“India Bloc leaders discussed the seat-searing formula during the informal meeting today. They talked about the surveys that are to be conducted at the regional level. The initial discussion will be on regional seat distribution. It was decided that initial discussion for lok sabha should be at the local level, as per the local combinations and strength,” said sources.

“At the dinner meeting, INDIA bloc leaders discussed the government’s need to call an early session of Parliament. They deliberated on whether the government is planning to club Lok sabha and state polls and that the alliance should be prepared for it. The parties also decided that some seats must be earmarked and whether parties should have common rallies. At the meeting, the Samajwadi party highlighted the importance of Uttar Pradesh in the polls and discussed the use of central agencies. Names of convenor and committees will be finalise tomorrow,” said sources.

Top leaders of the INDIA bloc began hectic parleys in an informal setting here on Thursday evening to chart out a concrete roadmap and evolve a structure for cooperation among the alliance partners to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Ahead of dinner hosted by former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, the INDIA bloc leaders met informally and are understood to have deliberated on fixing the agenda of the formal meeting on Friday when key decisions about the alliance’s future strategy would be taken.

“Seat sharing (between INDIA alliance parties) will take place across the country,” says Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in response to a media query on seat sharing in AAP-ruled Delhi and Punjab.

“We (INDIA alliance parties) will hold a press conference tomorrow,” says Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray while leaving Grand Hyatt Hotel in Mumbai after opposition bloc’s informal meeting.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Sonia Gandhi and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee leave as INDIA alliance’s informal meeting at Grand Hyatt Hotel in Mumbai concludes.

“The perception in the country is changing now, and everybody is supporting the INDIA alliance,” says Maharashtra Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat on the INDIA alliance meeting in Mumbai.

The third meeting of the Opposition’s INDIA alliance started in Mumbai on Thursday evening with leaders of several prominent political parties coming together to discuss the strategy and agenda of the grouping which is seeking to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre.

The meeting at Grand Hyatt hotel is being attended by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress parliamentary party leader Sonia Gandhi, party leader Rahul Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray, among others.

Mumbai | On the INDIA alliance meeting, National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah says, “There should be a Convener. I think a Working Group is also needed because the kind of situation that is forming – we can’t hold a meeting every two months like this. I think if meetings are held more regularly by forming a Working Group, it will definitely be effective.”

Mumbai | When asked who will be the PM face of INDIA alliance, National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah says, “If you ask me, I don’t think we need to announce any Prime Ministerial face. Let the elections take place, let us get majority – decision will be made after that.”

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav along with Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury and General Secretary of Communist Party of India D Raja and Tejashwi Yadav at INDIA alliance meeting venue in Mumbai.

Bihar CM and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar & Bihar Minister Sanjay Kumar Jha arrive in Mumbai for the meeting of the INDIA alliance.

TMC chairperson & West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee arrives at the venue of INDIA alliance meeting in Mumbai.

Several leaders from Opposition bloc INDIA have launched a scathing attack  at the ruling BJP, accusing it of destroying the country, and said its alliance is for rebuilding the country.

“The future of India now as a nation is integrally linked to the future of this alliance (INDIA). This is not a coalition of only parties, this coalition is of ideas. The country has already suffered a lot, which needs healing  now,” said Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Kumar Jha, who has arrived here to attend the two-day meeting of the INDIA bloc .

Echoing a similar sentiment, Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Ram Gopal Yadav while taking a swipe at the BJP said, “The alliance of Opposition parties has taken place to save the soul of India. Those sitting  in power are  destroying India.”

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Adani group row, in Mumbai said, “The current flavour is G20 and it is about India’s position in the world. What is very important for a country like India is that there is a level playing field and transparency in our economic environment and businesses that operate here. Today morning, two global financial newspapers have raised a very important question. These are not any random newspapers. These newspapers affect investment in India and the perception of India in the rest of the world…”

“The current flavour is G20 and it is about India’s position in the world. What is very important for a country like India is that there is a level playing field and transparency in our economic environment and businesses that operate here,” said Rahul Gandhi addressing media in Mumbai.

Delhi CM and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal arrives in Mumbai for the meeting of INDIA alliance. Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and party MPs Sanjay Singh & Raghav Chadha are also accompanying Arvind Kejriwal.