INDIA’s Mumbai meet begins today, framing campaign strategy on cards
The united Opposition under the banner of Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) is all set to begin its third round of consultations from Thursday in Mumbai. The third meeting is seen as a crucial one in terms of making a ‘doable’ roadmap for winning the Lok Sabha polls in 2024.
The key objectives of the two-day brainstorming session include an announcement of a coordination committee, a logo for the alliance, and the formulation of campaign strategies for the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. The earlier two meetings of INDIA alliance were held in Patna and Bengaluru.
During the meeting, which will be held on Thursday and Friday, the alliance would announce some panels to draft a common minimum programme of the INDIA alliance and formulate strategies for holding agitations across the country over the issues of unemployment, border security, inflation, etc. The issue of inclusion of a few more parties would also be discussed at the meeting.
Meanwhile, key Dalit leader and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati has announced to go alone in Lok Sabha as well as Assembly polls.
The INDIA bloc is also expected to announce a secretariat for smooth coordination between the constituents. The secretariat is likely to be set up in the national capital. Besides, the leaders of like-minded parties will also discuss the issue of having a coordinator or a chairperson to head the alliance. It is learnt that 63 delegates from 28 Opposition parties are scheduled to participate in the two-day event.
West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee reached Mumbai on Wednesday evening. Banerjee was welcomed at Mumbai airport by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray and members of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
According to Congress leader PL Punia, there would be no discussion on PM face for INDIA bloc as the PM will be chosen only after the Opposition registers a victory in the Lok Sabha election.
The united Opposition front members have claimed that it’s the power of their unity that forced the government to reduce the LPG prices by Rs 200.
“Till now, only two meetings have been held in the past two months by the INDIA alliance and we see that LPG prices have gone down by Rs 200. This is the power of INDIA,” said Mamata Banerjee, who is a key leader of the Opposition front.
Ahead of the meeting, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, who reached Mumbai on Tuesday, said, “The agenda will be to make preparations for the times ahead. Elections are approaching. If candidates have to be decided, we need to sit together.”
The key leaders who are scheduled to be present in the meeting include Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Sharad Pawar, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Tejaswi Yadav, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, Delhi CM Arvind Kerjiwal, Punjab CM Bhagwat Mann, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Uddhav Thackeray, Akhilesh Yadav (SP), Jayant Singh Chaudhary, Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti, Sitaram Yechury, D Raja, etc.
However, the leaders of the INDIA alliance have claimed that they have several options for the prime ministerial face unlike the BJP which has only one face.
Former Maharashtra chief minister and Congress leader Ashok Chavan said that the meeting will discuss the agenda and take things forward as we have come together to save democracy and fight against the BJP.
“The Mumbai meeting shall come out with a clear-cut roadmap for providing a progressive alternative to the regressive policies of the current regime,” said RJD’s Manoj Jha.
