INDIA Mumbai meet highlights: ‘We will hold press conference tomorrow,’ says Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray

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

"We are advancing a great course of change and the INDIA (alliance) stands for change. When the BJP and NDA were trying to find escape routes for Adani, we tried to find a way of salvation for the people of India," Binoy Viswam said speaking about INDIA alliance meeting in Mumbai on Thursday.

"We will hold a press conference tomorrow," says Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray while leaving the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Mumbai after the opposition bloc's informal meeting.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Sonia Gandhi and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee leave as INDIA alliance's informal meeting at Grand Hyatt Hotel in Mumbai concludes.

Top leaders of the INDIA bloc began hectic parleys in an informal setting here on Thursday evening to chart out a roadmap to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The INDIA bloc leaders met informally and are understood to have deliberated on fixing the agenda of the formal meeting on Friday when key decisions about the alliance's future strategy would be taken.

Union minister and BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Thursday termed the opposition’s ‘INDIA’ alliance as a rebranded version of UPA. “It is UPA only and an attempt to rebrand UPA. PM Modi has rightly described them as 'Ghamandia'. They only want to do dynastic, appeasement politics. Nothing will change by changing the name...,” Chandrasekhar said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday took a dig at the INDIA alliance and said the opposition leaders are just banking on the name of their grouping as it was the only refuge left to them. “It is a 'gazab' (strange) name...INDIA. I think their meeting is going on today. But as everyone knows, it is nothing but ‘naam bade aur darshan chhote’”, he said.

Meeting of the INDIA alliance parties begin in Mumbai.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday called the opposition bloc INDIA an “agenda-less” alliance and said its only aim is to unseat Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule called it a “pack of animals”. As many as 63 representatives from 28 political parties will attend the meeting of the INDIA alliance on Thursday and Friday at Grand Hyatt Hotel in Mumbai.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, general secretary KC Venugopal, and others arrive for the INDIA alliance meeting in Mumbai.  Speaking about the special session of the Parliament Kharge said, "Let them bring it, the fight will continue."

"This is not a party but a tea party. They fight with each other during the day and sit down for tea at night… In Delhi, Kejriwal and Congress are fighting each other. In Punjab, AAP and Congress are fighting each other..." said Vij speaking about the INDIA alliance meeting.

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and Minister Sanjay Kumar Jha arrive in Mumbai for meeting of INDIA alliance. Watch visuals

The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Thursday said the message from the meeting of the opposition bloc INDIA in Mumbai is that it is ready to make today's India, which has "bent its knee before China", win.

Rahul Gandhi on Adani row: The gentleman who conducted SEBI investigation and gave a clean chit to Adani Group is now a director on a media company owned by the same group.

 Rahul Gandhi attacked the Modi government over allegations of stock manipulation by Adani Group and said that Gautam Adani is buying assets of India and is capable doing so multiple times. 

 Rahul Gandhi in Mumbai said that India is soon going to host G20. So,it is our responsibility to protect the country's reputation, he added. 

"The reputation of India and India's prime minister is at stake so there should be a thorough investigation," he said.

Rahul Gandhi attcked the Centre on reports of money laundering allegations on Adani Group. “Whose money in question?” he asked. 

“Whose money being used to inflate Adani shares? If not Adani whose money?” he said.

“Will you (Uddhav Thackeray) declare that you have officially left Hindutva? Will you declare that you are supporting Rahul Gandhi to be the next PM of India? I think this meeting is going to be the last move of yours, showing that you have betrayed Maharashtra” said Maharashtra MLC Manisha Kayande on dinner being hosted by Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray for INDIA Bloc.

-The agenda includes unveiling a logo, appointment of coordinators and finalising the formal structure and architecture of the grouping.

-After Friday’s lunch hosted by the Mumbai Congress, some of the decisions are expected to take place. There could also be a discussion on seat sharing, as hinted by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday.

-“Going forward there is a possibility of seat sharing and if there is a unanimity then some people would be given a responsibility to start a dialogue with other parties and study how we could go together,” Pawar said.

“We are advancing a great course of change and the INDIA (alliance) stands for change. When the BJP and NDA are trying to find scapegoats for Adani, we tried to find a way of salvation for the people of India,” ANI quoted Binoy Viswam, Secretary, CPI National Council as saying.

“This meeting of INDIA has many meanings. The people themselves want that a right choice should be placed before them,” said Bihar deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav.

“The public wants to give a befitting reply to those who destroyed democracy and the Constitution. If we are not united then the public will not forgive.”

After arriving at the venue for the meeting, RJD president Lalu Yadav said “INDIA means that we all unite and remove poverty, unemployment and inflation from the country.”

It is our duty to fight together to protect the unity, integrity, constitution and democracy of the country, he added. 

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge arrived at the venue of the third INDIA alliance meeting in Mumbai. As many as 63 representatives from 28 political parties will attend the meeting of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) on August 31 and September 1 at Grand Hyatt Hotel in Mumbai.

-A decision on who will be convenor of the opposition bloc INDIA will be taken after deliberations during its meetings on Thursday and Friday here, senior Maharashtra Congress leader Ashok Chavan said, reported PTI.

-Chavan, who heads the organising committee of the opposition bloc, said all preparations have been completed for the two-day event, which will start with an informal meeting of representatives of 28 political parties this evening to discuss various items, including the agenda for Friday.

- "The formal deliberations will begin at 10:30am on Friday. The issue of convenor will also come up for discussion in the informal meet as well as tomorrow. All parties will decide on the convenor, many names are there," Chavan said.