Last Updated: September 13, 2023, 19:32 IST
Opposition leaders after the Coordination Committee meeting of INDIA at Sharad Pawar’s residence in New Delhi. (PTI)
The leaders of several opposition parties have sought an early seat-sharing formula to be worked out
The coordination committee of INDIA, the opposition bloc, on Wednesday, held its first meeting at NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s residence in New Delhi. Eleven leaders of the 14-member coordination panel of the opposition were present at the meeting.
As per reports, a detailed seat-sharing formula and the roadmap to the 2024 Elections among other issues were some of the prime agendas of the meeting. The bloc also reportedly held discussions on how to combat the government’s ‘witch hunt’ of Opposition leaders by ‘using probe agencies.’
The meeting was held at a time when the INDIA bloc is under a lot of heat from the BJP and other NDA parties over Udhayanidhi Stalin’s controversial remark on ‘Sanatan Dharma.’
आज दिल्ली में INDIA गठबंधन की कॉर्डिनेशन कमेटी की बैठक संपन्न हुई।हमने साथ मिलकर लोकतंत्र की रक्षा का संकल्प लिया है, हम इसे जरूर पूरा करेंगे।
जुड़ेगा भारत, जीतेगा INDIA 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/pZEY5WunsL
— Congress (@INCIndia) September 13, 2023
“Everyone will work on one platform and against the injustice done against the people of the country. There is no question of seat sharing now. When leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar have united a bright future of democracy will emerge,” said Jharkhand Health Minister Banna Gupta after the meeting.
Who All Attended the Meeting
CP chief Sharad Pawar, Congress’ K C Venugopal, CPI’s D Raja, SP’s Jawed Ali Khan, DMK’s T R Baalu, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, AAP MP Raghav Chadha, JD(U)’s Sanjay Jha, NC leader Omar Abdullah, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut were present at the meeting.
Who Failed to Attend The INDIA Coordination Meeting
Three members of the panel including JMM leader Hemant Soren, and TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee could not attend the meeting for different reasons. Banerjee, who was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate to appear before it on the same day, did not attend the meeting. The CPI-M has not yet nominated any member of the committee.
Seat-Sharing Negotiations
According to PTI, the leaders of several opposition parties have sought an early seat-sharing formula to be worked out to ensure that a joint PM opposition candidate is put up against BJP candidates in Lok Sabha seats.
“The Coordination Committee has decided to start the process for determining seat-sharing. It was decided that member parties would hold talks and decide at the earliest. The first public meeting of the alliance will be held in Bhopal in the first week of October,” said Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal.
#WATCH | On INDIA alliance Coordination Committee meeting, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal says, “The Coordination Committee has decided to start the process for determining seat-sharing. It was decided that member parties would hold talks and decide at the earliest. The… pic.twitter.com/JnOmapYJ7Z— ANI (@ANI) September 13, 2023
However, several leaders said that the parties have to “shed their egos” and “vested interests” in arriving at such a formula.
While no decision has been taken on the criteria, it is likely to be based on the performance of parties on a particular seat in recent polls, PTI reported quoting sources. Discussions on finalising campaigns and rallies to be held in the coming days were also held.
Next INDIA Coordination Panel To Be Held in Bhopal
In the joint statement, the coordination committee of the opposition INDIA bloc stated that seat-sharing negotiations and talks will soon begin and several meetings will be scheduled in different parts of the country.
The first such meeting will be held in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh’s Bhopal.
