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INDIA leaders’ meet deferred as unrest grows among allies
The Congress’s plan to hurriedly call a meeting of the INDIA bloc collapsed on Tuesday after at least three non-Congress chief ministers and a former CM refused to join the December 6 event.
The Congress’s plan to hurriedly call a meeting of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) collapsed on Tuesday after at least three non-Congress chief ministers and a former CM refused to join the December 6 event at a time when questions are being raised about the future of the grouping.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad later told reporters that the meeting will be held on December 17, an announcement that came against the backdrop of the Congress suffering an electoral drubbing in three heartland states on Sunday and disquiet among INDIA bloc allies over stalled seat-sharing talks.
Later in the day, the Congress announced that a coordination meeting of parliamentary party leaders of the 28-party grouping will be held instead on Wednesday.
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, his Jharkhand counterpart, Hemant Soren, and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee told the Congress that they wouldn’t be able to attend the meeting, said people aware of developments. Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav also said he would be missing the December 6 meeting, but was likely to depute another party leader for the event.
“The meeting will be held on December 17 and all leaders will attend the meeting,” Lalu said.
“A coordination meeting of parliamentary party leaders of INDIA alliance will be held at 6 pm on December 6th, 2023 at the residence of Congress President Sh. Mallikarjun Kharge. Thereafter meeting of Party Presidents/ Heads of the India Alliance will be scheduled in third week of December at a date convenient to all,” tweeted Gurdeep Sappal, a member of the INDIA coordination committee.
A senior member of a non-Congress party confirmed the development.
“We, the Opposition floor leaders, usually meeting at Kharge’s office in the morning. On Wednesday, we will meet at his residence in the evening,” he said. Another leader added that many regional parties are set to press for seat adjustments without any delay.
The reluctance of top alliance leaders to join the meeting on Wednesday comes against the backdrop of the Congress’s setback in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh -- three north Indian states where it was directly pitted against the BJP.
The Congress had stalled seat-sharing talks in anticipation of a good performance in the assembly elections that could have put it at an advantage in any negotiations, and had refused to have any informal arrangements in the three states. That strategy appeared to have backfired as the Congress lost its governments in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, and failed to dislodge the BJP in Madhya Pradesh.
Though the party won Telangana, its dismal head-to-head record against the BJP cast a long shadow on the party’s ability to put up a credible fight against the BJP in the Hindi belt, and effectively relegated it to southern India.
Even as the tension between the allies remained palpable on Tuesday, some Opposition leaders insisted that it was too early to write off the INDIA bloc.
“It is definitely a huge setback for the Congress and INDIA allies. But it will not demolish the alliance but allows more maneuvering space for the regional parties in the group,” said a leader from southern India, requesting anonymity.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who is scheduled to leave for North Bengal on Wednesday for a four-day visit, was also expected to stay away from the meeting. On Monday, she blamed the lack of seat-sharing arrangements for the Congress’s losses. She called the drubbing a defeat of the Congress and not a disaster for the larger Opposition.
On Tuesday, Bihar minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary, who blamed the Congress for ignoring regional parties, said Kumar had recovered from an illness and would not take part in the meeting as it was not required. He added that Janata Dal (United) or JD(U) leader Rajiv Ranjan and Bihar minister Sanjay Jha will attend the meeting on Kumar’s behalf.
Choudhary said there was not much time left and that Congress should learn from the debacle in three states. He added that there should be no further delay in seat sharing across states. “Nitish Kumar’s model is of a united fight and if that happens, a win is not improbable,” said Choudhary.
SP spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said Akhilesh Yadav has no plans of attending the INDIA meeting. He added Ram Gopal Yadav or any other leader authorised will go for the meeting.
Ramgopal Yadav said Akhilesh was busy with some programmes in the Purvanchal region. “It does not matter if a leader does not participate. All parties will be there at the meeting. Leaders are busy. They have prior commitments... the meeting was announced suddenly.”
Akhilesh, whose party fielded candidates in Madhya Pradesh after a public falling out with the Congress, on Monday said he was not disappointed with the assembly election results and added that it would not impact their prospects in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Soren cited his busy schedule and said he would be unable to attend the INDIA meeting while ruling out differences among coalition partners. “I will be busy here. I spoke to [Congress chief Mallikarjun] Kharge Ji yesterday [Monday]...maybe our representative will go.”
JD(U) leader KC Tyagi said another key member of the alliance, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad, will be at the meeting. “The Congress will have to show a big heart. In key states such as Bihar, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu, it will have to offer the reins to stronger regional parties.”
He promised to give the Congress its due in Bihar. “Congress should not be overconfident to the extent of ignoring regional parties as it will be counterproductive.”
Tyagi called for keeping the door open for parties such as the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the YSR Congress Party for post-poll alliances. “BJD and YSR Congress Party were formed following splits in the Janata Dal and the Congress. Today, they are not with us, but after the polls, they may be helpful if the situation demands. The most important thing is to work out a workable plan and implement it. In many states, regional parties are stronger and the Congress needs to understand this.”
On November 2, Kumar criticised the Congress for being preoccupied with the elections in the five states and neglecting the INDIA bloc. The JD(U) attacked the Congress for ignoring regional parties after the poll reverses in the three heartland states.
