On Tuesday, The Congress announced that the INDIA bloc has decided to reschedule the meeting of party heads to the third week of December amid unavailability of Key leaders. Earlier, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had called for a meeting on Wednesday, but it received a lukewarm response from several front leaders. As per Congress sources, numerous key opposition leaders won't attend the previously scheduled Wednesday meeting.
However, Gurdeep Singh Sappal, Coordinator of Kharge, stated that a Parliamentary coordination meeting is set for 6 pm on December 6th, followed by a meeting of Party Presidents/Heads of the India Alliance in the third week of December at a mutually convenient date, as announced on 'X.' A coordination meeting of INDIA bloc Parliamentary leaders is confirmed at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's residence on Wednesday.
This decision follows top INDIA bloc leaders, including Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar due to health concerns, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin due to the severe impact of Cyclone on his state and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav expressing their inability to attend the meeting on December 6.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee also expressed her lack of awareness about the meeting, stating that she would proceed with her state programs. She mentioned on Monday, "I don't know; I have no information, so I kept a program in North Bengal. If we had the information, we wouldn't have scheduled those programs. We would have definitely gone for the meeting, but we have not received any information." CM Mamata Banerjee would have skipped the meeting due to a family wedding.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has already informed Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge about his inability to attend the Wednesday meeting. "I'll be occupied here. I spoke to Kharge Ji yesterday; perhaps, a representative from our side will attend," stated Hemant Soren to reporters in Ranchi.
The reported refusal of top opposition leaders to attend the December 6 meeting follows the Congress's setbacks in Assembly polls. The INDIA bloc, formed in July, is an umbrella alliance of opposition parties aimed at challenging the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Mamata Banerjee and Akhilesh Yadav had indicated their inability to attend, criticizing the Congress for its defeat in three Hindi heartland states.
RJD President Lalu Prasad stated that leaders from the bloc will convene on December 17 to plan strategies for the upcoming lok sabha polls in the following year.
Facing criticism for abruptly announcing the INDIA meeting on December 6 without prior consultation, Congress defended it as an "informal" gathering with short notice. Despite this, the party recognized the challenges and opted to reschedule. In a meeting chaired by Kharge, Congress communicated the change to Parliamentary floor leaders, transforming the Wednesday meeting into a discussion among floor leaders regarding the next steps. The Congress may face challenges in the upcoming meeting, especially with key ally Samajwadi Party adopting a belligerent stance due to perceived betrayal in ticket distribution during the assembly elections in MP.
A successful alliance is crucial for Congress to pose a competitive challenge to PM Narendra Modi and the BJP in the 2024 elections. The INDIA alliance, comprising 28 opposition parties, including Congress, aims to counter the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by PM Modi's BJP and thwart its bid for a third consecutive term in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The joint opposition has held three meetings, adopting resolutions in Mumbai to collectively contest the 2024 elections and committing to finalize seat-sharing arrangements through a cooperative approach. The chosen theme for the elections is "Judega Bharat, Jeetega India" (India will unite, India will win) to confront the ruling BJP-led government.
(Inputs from other agencies)
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