INDIA Mumbai Meet highlights: ‘Next Oppn meeting in Delhi,’ says NCP's Supriya Sule

Opposition parties' leaders pose for the photograph

Top leaders of the opposition bloc Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance or INDIA held hectic parleys in the third two-day joint meeting of the alliance in Mumbai on Thursday to chart out a concrete roadmap to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

After the meeting of the Opposition INDIA alliance, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Friday said that a resolution has been passed and four main committees have been formed.

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.

Opposition bloc INDIA also resolved to contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections together "as far as possible" and said the seat-sharing arrangements will be concluded at the earliest in a spirit of "give-and-take".

The alliance adopted a resolution to this effect and said its theme for the elections will be “Judega Bharat, Jeetega India.”

"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," the resolution said.

At the informal gathering held earlier, chief ministers Mamata Banerjee and Nitish Kumar asked the alliance leaders to “take quick decisions” and their Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal suggested that seat-sharing talks must start at the state-level, reported claimed. Several leaders in the bloc also cautioned against an early general election, which is due for April-May 2024.

"Leaders of 28 parties participated in meeting and discussions were held on several key issues. We will hold a press conference on Friday. The logo was also supposed to be unveiled but that too is being discussed. There is a meeting once again after breakfast on Friday.," said NCP leader Anil Deshmukh after the informal meeting of the INDIA alliance.

The first meeting of the joint opposition convened in Patna on June 23 and the second meeting was held in Bengaluru on July 17-18.