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Diverse ideologies have united, INDIA alliance’s PM face soon: Akhilesh Yadav
This was the third meeting of the joint opposition in as many months. Akhilesh Yadav attended all three--the first in Patna in June, Bengaluru in July, and now in Mumbai on August 31-September 1.
Observing that people of diverse ideologies have joined hands, Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday said the opposition INDIA bloc will decide its prime ministerial candidate soon.
“Most heartening is that all have united, people of diverse ideologies have joined hands and will defeat the BJP. I understand that the face too will be decided soon,” Akhilesh said in response to newspersons in Mumbai at the end of the third joint Opposition meeting.
He also commented on X : “Judega Bharat, Jeetaga India”, the new slogan of INDIA.
“INDIA is a journey for each one of those who ‘Dil se chaahey desh ko (one who loves the country from the bottom of one’s heart)...the journey will go on and will grow...will hoist the victory flag,” he wrote in Hindi before the meeting.
This was the third meeting of the joint opposition in as many months. Akhilesh attended all three--the first in Patna in June, Bengaluru in July, and now in Mumbai on August 31-September 1.
SP MP from Mainpuri and Akhilesh’s wife Dimple Yadav accompanied the party delegation from Uttar Pradesh. But as she was not a delegate, she did not attend the meeting. She interacted with several leaders of the INDIA coalition and Maharashtra unit leaders of the SP. Maharashtra SP chief Abu Asim Azmi visited the venue and interacted with leaders of the coalition, but he too did not attend the meeting.
The SP delegates were Akhilesh Yadav, party vice-president Kiranmoy Nanda and chief national general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav. Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary and Apna Dal (K) chief Krishna Patel and general secretary Pankaj Niranjan also attended the two-day meeting
KAPIL SIBAL PRESENT
Former Congress leader and SP-supported Rajya Sabha member Kapil Sibal reached the meeting. Some Congress delegates reportedly objected to his reaching the venue during the photo op. However, Akhilesh Yadav and some other leaders intervened to accept Sibal’s presence. Sibal quit the Congress last year and was then elected to the Rajya Sabha from U.P. with Samajwadi Party’s support. Later, SP leader IP Singh wrote on X--”Mr Sibal is one of the most prominent Supreme Court lawyer and a man of political acumen and wisdom, his presence in INDIA coalition would only strengthen it.”
SEAT-SHARING
People familiar with the matter in the SP said Akhilesh Yadav and a few other leaders stressed on evolving a seat-sharing formula soon so that election preparations and the campaign could start on time.
MEET SHOULD HAPPEN IN U.P. TOO: MAMATA
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said being the state with the highest number of Lok Sabha seats, a meeting should happen in Uttar Pradesh too, according to SP sources.
