A proposal for an awareness campaign about Opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA)’s essence of defending the Constitution will be discussed at the third meeting of the grouping in Mumbai (August 31-September 1), a leader of the bloc has said.
Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation leader Dipankar Bhattacharya said the campaign will help in educating people about the need for unity ahead of the 2024 national polls. “Our primary aim is to spread the message that the opposition bloc has been formed to defend the constitution and to fight the BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] led NDA [National Democratic Alliance] government. ..a schedule [for the campaign] could be thrashed out [at Mumbai].”
People aware of the matter said Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar held discussions with INDIA leaders on the agenda of the Mumbai meeting during his two-day visit to Delhi. “A draft agenda of the meeting is under process. Talks were held between Congress, Kumar, and other leaders,” said a person, requesting anonymity.
Kumar, who returned to Patna on Thursday, said he visited Delhi for former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s death anniversary and a check-up. He maintained his visit was not for discussions with the INDIA grouping. “We keep talking with Congress and other leaders. We have the telephone talk.”
{{/usCountry}}Kumar, who returned to Patna on Thursday, said he visited Delhi for former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s death anniversary and a check-up. He maintained his visit was not for discussions with the INDIA grouping. “We keep talking with Congress and other leaders. We have the telephone talk.”
{{/usCountry}}A seat-sharing formula would be the main agenda in Mumbai. A second person aware of the matter said the arrangement being discussed would be mainly state specific with emphasis on putting one candidate against NDA nominees for as many seats as possible.
A Congress leader said the main factor of winnability will be taken into account for seat sharing even as hitches remained. The Left and Congress are, for instance, dominant in Kerala whereas the BJP is a distant third. “Issues over seat sharing in Kerala are being looked into. We are hoping both Congress and the Left would transcend their differences,” said a fourth leader.
In Bihar, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Janata Dal (United) are keen on contesting 15 seats each, leaving around 10 seats for Congress and Left parties. The Congress wants 8-10 seats.
Bhattacharya said his party wants four seats but the decision on it would be taken collectively. “The seat-sharing arrangement would be more or less state specific with emphasis on putting a candidate against the BJP and NDA.’
BJP leader Nikhil Anand said there is no Opposition unity as they do not have a leader yet. “By launching a national campaign, will they convince people that Article 370 [of the Constitution] will not be reintroduced which is the demand of the [Jammu and Kashmir parties] National Conference and People Democratic Party. In Karnataka, they want to repeal the anti-conversion law. In the name of protecting secularism, they only want appeasement and divisive politics.”