Ahead of the third meeting of the opposition alliance INDIA on August 1, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is visiting Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan. Though Bachchan keeps a low political profile, the reason for Mamata’s visit remains speculative. Some suggest that she aims to involve Bachchan in a grand film festival in Kolkata before the upcoming general election.
Will Kharge be the chairperson of the INDIA alliance?
Sonia Gandhi’s anticipated presence at the INDIA meeting sparked speculation that she would naturally become the alliance’s Chairperson. However, the Congress party has nominated Mallikarjun Kharge for the role. While DMK and TMC have no objections, the Aam Aadmi Party has reservations about Congress leadership. Various options are being considered to resolve the issue, including appointing four regional convenors.
Discussing preponing of Lok Sabha election in INDIA alliance
Both Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee have suggested that the NDA might prepone the Lok Sabha elections. However, the ruling BJP and other INDIA alliance members disagree, citing multiple upcoming events aimed at gaining voter support. Some within the INDIA alliance think that Kumar and Banerjee are leveraging this issue to pressure the Congress for early seat adjustments in their states.