I.N.D.I.A. bloc leaders are set to hold a virtual meeting at 11:30 am on Saturday, i.e. January 13. The leaders are likely to discuss the name of the convenor in the meeting along with seat sharing dynamics. Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee will not be part of the virtual meeting on Saturday morning as she is preoccupied with prior engagements, they said.
This is the second such attempt to hold a virtual meeting as the previous attempt a few days ago did not materialise, the sources added. Earlier, there were talks that the alliance could have a convener, with the name of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar doing the rounds for the post. There have also been demands for having an office and a spokesperson of the opposition alliance, where 28 parties have come together to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
After the fourth meeting of the I.N.D.I.A held in New Delhi, reports about Nitish Kumar being upset started surfacing. It was said that Kumar's name was to be proposed for the Prime Minister's post, but Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal put forward the name of Mallikarjun Kharge, which left the JD(U) chief displeased. In addition to Kumar, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav also did not appear happy after the meeting.
As many as 28 opposition parties have come together under the banner of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) to take on the BJP and defeat it in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Lok Sabha elections 2024
It should be noted here that general elections are expected to be held in India between April and May to elect the members of the 18th Lok Sabha. The tenure of the 17th Lok Sabha is scheduled will end in the month of June. The previous general elections were held in April–May 2019. After the elections, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance formed the government at the Centre, with Narendra Modi continuing as Prime Minister for the second straight term.
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