Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) national president Nitish Kumar has reportedly declined the post of convenor of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc. Sources indicate that Kumar suggested that someone from the Congress should assume the responsibility of the post. This development occurred during a virtual meeting of INDIA bloc leaders, where the seat-sharing agenda, participation in Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, and other alliance-related matters were discussed.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar attended the meeting via video conferencing from Mumbai, while Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK leader MK Stalin and party leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi participated from Chennai. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was absent, attending a pre-scheduled state program.
In a previous meeting, Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav proposed Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge as the Prime Ministerial candidate.
The INDIA bloc, comprising various opposition parties, including the Congress, aims to challenge the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Parallel meetings are ongoing, with the Congress’ alliance committee taking the lead in consulting with various parties within the INDIA bloc for state-level alliances. A meeting between Congress and Aam Aadmi Party leaders took place on Friday, characterized as a positive move. The Congress alliance committee is set to meet with leaders from Jharkhand on Saturday to continue alliance-building efforts.
As India approaches the Lok Sabha elections, the political landscape is witnessing significant reshuffling, with the emerging INDIA consortium preparing to challenge the established National Democratic Alliance. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the NDA secured 353 seats, the UPA stood at 91, and other parties won 98. The elections took place in seven phases between April 11 and May 19, with a voter turnout of around 67%.