Mumbai (Maharashtra), September 1 (ANI): India’s 28 opposition parties, united as the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), concluded their third meeting in Maharashtra adopting resolutions to collectively contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections (or, whenever held) and announcing seat-sharing arrangements to be finalised soon. The ruling BJP has slammed the meeting as having no vision for India’s development.
Leaders from different opposition parties in the INDIA alliance engaged in discussions, beginning yesterday and concluding today, where they adopted a resolution outlining their election strategy. The theme they have chosen for the elections is “Judega Bharat, Jeetega India” (India will unite, India will win) in an effort to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government.
“We, the INDIA parties, hereby resolve to contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections together as far as possible. Seat-sharing arrangements in different states will be initiated immediately and concluded at the earliest in a collaborative spirit of give-and-take,” said the resolution.
The resolution also said that the parties will “organize public rallies at the earliest in different parts of the country on issues of public concern and importance”. After the crucial third round of discussions, Bihar CM and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar said that The meeting (INDIA alliance) was conducted and everything went well.
The next INDIA alliance meet will be held in New Delhi, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) leader Supriya Sule said after the meeting concluded.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav when asked about the face of the INDIA alliance said “Question is not about the face. What is delightful is that everyone has come together. If people from different ideologies have come together, I think the name will also come forth soon.”
After the meeting , Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut announced a 14-member Coordination Committee and Election Strategy Committee, the 19-member Campaign Committee, a 12-member Working Group for Social Media, a 19-member Working Group for Media and an 11-member Working Group for Research have been formed by the Opposition bloc.
The 14-member Coordination Committee and Election Strategy Committee includes KC Venugopal (INC), Sharad Pawar (NCP), TR Baalu (DMK), Hemant Soren (JMM), Sanjay Raut (SS-UBT), Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), Abhishek Banerjee (TMC), Raghav Chadha (AAP), Javed Ali Khan (SP), Lalan Singh (JDU), D. Raja (CPI), Omar Abdullah (NC), Mehbooba Mufti (PDP), one more member from CPI(M) to also be announced.
The 19-member of Campaign Committee includes Gurdeep Singh Sappal, INC, Sanjay Jha, JD(U), Anil Desai, SS, Sanjay Yadav, RJD, PC Chako, NCP, Champai Soren, JMM, Kiranmoy Nanda, SP, Sanjay Singh, AAP, Arun Kumar, CPI(M), Binoy Vishwam, CPI, Justice (Retd) Hasnain Masoodi, NC, Shahid Siddiqui, RLD, NK Premachandran, RSP, G Devarajan, AIFB, Ravi Rai, CPI(ML), Thirumavalan, VCK, KM Kadar Moidin, IUML, Jose K Mani, KC(M) and TMC (to give name later).
Meanwhile, 12 members of the Working Group for Social Media include Supriya Srinate, INC, Sumit, Sharma, RJD, Ashish Yadav, SP, Rajeev Nigam, SP, Raghav Chaddha, AAP, Avindani, JMM, Iltija, Mehbooba, PDP, Pranjal, CPM, Bhalchandran Kango, CPI, Ifra Ja, NC, V Arun Kumar, CPI(ML) and TMC (to give name later).
A 19-member Working Group for Media includes Jairam Ramesh, INC, Manoj Jha, RJD, Arvind Sawant, SS, Jitendra Ahwad, NCP, Raghav Chaddha, AAP, Rajiv Ranjan, JD(U), Pranjal, CPM, Ashish Yadav, SP, Supriyo Bhattacharya, JMM, Alok Kumar, JMM, Manish Kumar, JD(U), Rajeev Nigam, SP, Bhalchandran Kango, CPI, Tanvir Sadiq, NC, Prashant Kannojia, Naren Chatterjee, AIFB, Sucheta De, CPI(ML), Mohit Bhan, PDP and TMC (to give name later).
Moreover, 11 members of the Working Group for Research include Amitabh Dubey, INC, Subodh Mehta, RJD, Priyanka Chaturvedi, SS, Vandana Chavan, NCP, KC Tyagi, JD(U), Sudivya Kumar Sonu, JMM, Jasmine Shah, AAP, Alok Ranjan, SP, Imran Nabi Dar, NC, Aditya, PDP and TMC (to give name later).
Moreover, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi asserted that it will be impossible for the BJP to win the polls if the parties unite as the INDIA alliance represents 60 per cent of India’s population
“This stage (INDIA alliance) represents 60 per cent of India’s population. If the parties in the state unite it is impossible for the BJP to win. The task is to come together in the most efficient way possible,” Rahul Gandhi said.
“I am confident that the INDIA alliance will defeat the BJP. The real work in this alliance is the relationships that are forged between leaders of this alliance,” he added.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asserted that there is no conflict among the parties of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) alliance.
“This is an alliance not just of some 28 parties, but an alliance of 140 crore people. I have been noticing that there are forceful projections of infighting which is not there. I have attended three meetings of the alliance. I am saying with full responsibility that all meetings have been held in a very cordial atmosphere. There is no conflict,” Delhi CM said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray announced that the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) will work under the theme ‘Judega Bharat, Jeetega India’ to contest Lok Sabha polls, adding that the seat-sharing arrangements for the INDIA bloc will be initiated immediately for different states.
Elaborating about the resolutions passed in the third INDIA bloc meeting, Aaditya Thackeray said, “Today, INDIA parties passed three resolutions. One, we the INDIA parties hereby resolve to contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections together as far as possible. Seat-sharing arrangements in different states will be initiated immediately and concluded at the earliest in a collaborative spirit of give and take.”
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav reminded PM Modi over the 2014 poll promise of bringing back the black money stashed in Swiss banks and claimed to deposit Rs 15 lakh in the bank account of the people of the country which never happened.
“…You must recall how they (BJP-NDA) came to power by lying and spreading rumours. They took my name as well as that of several other leaders’ names that we have money in Swiss Banks. PM Modi said that he would come to power, get back money from Swiss Banks and deposit that money in the accounts of the people of the country. I too was lured by the offer…I didn’t do the kind of evil corruption that is being done and facilitated by Narendra Modi,” Lalu Yadav said.
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar said Lok Sabha elections can be held before time. So, we all have to remain vigilant.
Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam said, “The main motive of today’s meeting was to discuss how to make India free from the PM Modi-led government. We have announced our agenda too in the meeting today.”
CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said that we will go ahead on the basis of the concrete situation.
“Wherever no adjustment is possible, a joint campaign will not be held there. Will the Congress party give up the contesting election in Kerala and handover everything to CPI(M)? It is not possible. We will go ahead on the basis of the concrete situation. We believe that there will understanding on the majority of the seats,” he said.
“The INDIA grouping has caused nervousness among communal elements. The NDA was reincarnated at the time of the Bengaluru meeting. It was forgotten for 9 years. Two days before the Mumbai meeting, the prices of gas cylinders were slashed to lure people. Now, a special session of Parliament has been called without any announcement about agenda. These are signs that they are nervous…INDIA grouping will be victorious in saving the constitution, secularism and democracy of the country,” he said.
CPI leader D Raja said that “People want BJP to be removed from the seat of power in the interest of the country and the future. So, the political parties are aware of this. They are responsible and very sensitive to the expectations of the people and people should not be taken for granted because there is discontent against BJP.”
Attacking the central government for indulging in ‘mitr-parivaarvaad’, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said that as the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) is getting stronger and moving ahead with unity the rival of the INDIA Alliance is getting worried adding that the opposition bloc is ready to fight against the tyranny of the Centre.
Meanwhile, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slammed the INDIA alliance meeting and asserted that the alliance has no vision for the development of India, and their recurrent theme was to abuse Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “In the third meeting of the so-called alliance, there was no vision for the development of India, no roadmap for the upliftment of the poor, no strategy to address concerns of farmers or women and children. The most important is that there was not even an acknowledgement of the threat to India from terrorism, radicalisation and successionist forces…Their only recurrent theme is to abuse Shri Narendra Modi ji…”
Central Minister Bhagwat Karad said, “INDIA alliance has different parties coming together…I don’t think it will stay for long.”
– With inputs from SAT News Desk.
