Seat Sharing, Joint Candidate for 2024 Polls? How INDIA Bloc Leaders View Today’s ‘Crucial’ Meet in Delhi – News18

The opposition INDIA bloc’s meeting on coordination committee in Delhi today will set the agenda for seat sharing and ensure a candidate is appointed unanimously against the BJP for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The meeting, which will be held at NCP leader Sharad Pawar’s residence in Delhi this evening, will also discuss government’s witch-hunt against Opposition’s leaders by central investigating agencies such as the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate.

The coordination committee members are KC Venugopal (Congress), TR Baalu (DMK), Hemant Soren (JMM), Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena-UBT), Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), Raghav Chadha (AAP), Javed Ali Khan (SP), Lalan Singh (JD-U), D Raja (CPI), Omar Abdullah (National Conference), Mehbooba Mufti (PDP), Abhishek Banerjee (TMC), and a member from CPI-M.

After the third meeting of the bloc, a resolution was issued on September 1 that parties would contest together, and the seat-sharing formula in different states will be “initiated immediately”.

Political Reactions

Aam Aadmi Party’s MP Raghav Chadha, who is INDIA bloc’s coordination committee member, said, “The alliance has been formed to raise big issues such as price rise and unemployment facing the country. The statement made by some small leader, from a district in a state, is not the official stand of the alliance”.

Janata Dal (United)’s KC Tyagi in Delhi said, “Meeting is very crucial in terms of campaigns and for articulating issues. From October 2, Jan Sabha’s will be conducted for which today’s meeting has been called.”

It has been learnt that Trinamool Congress’ Abhishek Banerjee will skip today’s meeting as he has been summoned by the ED in connection with the alleged West Bengal school recruitment scam.

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’s (JMM) general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya confirmed to news agency ANI that chief minister Hemant Soren will be attending today’s meeting. “There will be discussions regarding the campaign and common agenda.”

Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Uddhav Thackeray had met Sharad Pawar at his Silver Oak residence in Mumbai yesterday where they discussed coordination with INDIA bloc and issues between Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies in Maharashtra.

NCP’s Clyde Crasto said the INDIA alliance is “doing very well” as it has won four of the seven bye-election seats. “A lot of issues will be discussed. In the coming time, we will win many more seats. The special session of Parliament will also be discussed in the meeting.”

Bihar, where INDIA bloc’s first Coordination for Unity meeting was held, saw the proposal for new alliance put on the table. The meeting was attended by 16 parties.

RJD spokesperson Shakti Singh said, “Everybody will come and put their points forward…All the gatherings of the INDIA alliance have been successful. Everybody has one aspiration, that is, the country should come out of the feeling of fear.”

Meanwhile, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, who is the coordination committee member, said, “We are going for the first meeting of the coordination committee. We will keep our opinion before the leaders there over the agenda, there is no problem in it. I have said it before as well, that the PM face from the opposition would be much better and most deserving than today’s PM. He or she would be more dedicated to the country.”

Raising the controversy over Sanatan Dharma, BJP’s Tarun Chugh said, “The opposition party tried to speak against the Sanatan Dharma but people didn’t tolerate. Sanatan Dharma stays in the belief of the people, it is in the DNA of the people, it is their pride. Why are Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi quiet? Are they supporting it silently?” He further said, “The Congress meeting is the ‘ghamandi gathbandhan’. They do not have the idea nor the agenda. More than one dozen people are there to become the PM candidate. They want to face PM Modi, but they cannot do it.”