The leaders at the helm of the recently established INDIA alliance, a coalition of Opposition forces, are set to convene for their third meeting in Mumbai today. Over the course of a two-day assembly, the alliance is expected to reveal a coordination committee and a distinctive logo emblematic of their unified front. Additionally, the forum is anticipated to establish panels entrusted with crafting a shared foundational agenda for the alliance, devising collaborative strategies for nationwide protests, and grappling with the intricate task of seat allocation – a pivotal and challenging endeavour.
The forum’s deliberations will also encompass charting a comprehensive joint action plan to confront the incumbent BJP in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Moreover, the INDIA alliance is poised to unveil a secretariat in New Delhi, designed to facilitate seamless interaction among its constituents.
Gathering under the banner of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), 63 delegates hailing from 28 political parties will assemble at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1.
Chief among the topics under scrutiny will be the selection of an alliance logo and the establishment of a committee to streamline collaboration among member parties. The forum is also expected to weigh the potential appointment of a convenor and to outline a synchronized timetable for joint actions in the forthcoming 2024 elections.
Influential attendees including Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal, and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, along with RJD leader Lalu Prasad, have already converged in Mumbai. Distinguished figures such as Arvind Kejriwal, Bhagwant Mann, Nitish Kumar, Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi are slated to arrive today. A dinner event hosted by Uddhav Thackeray, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, is set to bring all members together.
Speaking at a press conference, Sharad Pawar, a prominent figure in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), expressed confidence that the alliance will present a substantial alternative capable of instigating a political transformation in the nation. Notably, discussions concerning seat allocation within the INDIA alliance have yet to take place.
Asked about the alliance’s potential Prime Ministerial candidate, Mamata Banerjee conveyed that “India will be our PM face. Our primary concern is to save the country.” Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders have advocated for this to be the alliance’s concluding meeting, thereby enabling parties to focus on their respective states.