Convener may not be appointed in next Opposition I.N.D.I.A meet in Mumbai, say sources

Image Source : PTI Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Leader TR Baalu, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Congress party leader Sonia Gandhi, party President Mallikarjun Kharge, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Nationalist Congress

The internal matters in the Opposition alliance I.N.D.I.A is far from over. If souces are to be believed, then Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will no longer be choosen as the convener of the bloc. Earlier there were reports that Nitish Kumar may be made the convener of the Opposition bloc which is grearing to take on NDA in 2024 Assembly elections.

However, ahead of the Mumbai meeting, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has reiterated that his drive to forge the opposition unity was not prompted by any "personal ambitions" and he would like someone else to be made convener of the opposition coalition.

The Opposition which is scheduled to meet in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1 will now form a coordination committee of 11 people in place of appointing a convener. In the meet, Lok Sabha election strategy and seat sharing formula will be discussed. According to reports, Shiv Sena and other regional parties have given the formula that seat sharing should be done by forming regional groups. There are speculations of some more regional outfits joining the 26-party opposition alliance at its Mumbai conclave which is the third in a series of meetings held in Patna and Bengaluru.

Why no convener?

According to reports, controversy around appointing the convener is likely to increase. While Congress will not accept the leadership of someone else as the convener, the Trinamool Congress and Aam Aadmi Party, who are part of the I.N.D.A alliance, are opposed to giving the top post to the Congress.

The INDIA bloc's first meeting was held in Patna in June, while the second one took place in Bengaluru in mid-July. This is the first meeting of the opposition INDIA alliance in a state where none of the bloc members are in power. Unity would be the key focus of the meeting. Shiv Sena leader(UBT) and MP Sanjay Raut ahead of the third meeting of INDIA Alliance in Mumbai said, "The preparations are done. Shiv Sena is the host of the INDIA Alliance meet. Congress and NCP are with us. Our delegates from all over the country have started arriving in Mumbai."

Here is the tentative schedule of I.N.D.I.A meet