Congress present Mallikarjun Kharge was on Saturday named I.N.D.I.A bloc chief after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar rejects the offer, sources said. Top leaders of parties of the opposition I.N.D.I.A bloc held discussions on Saturday on strengthening the alliance, chalking out a strategy on seat-sharing and deciding whether to have a convenor of the grouping. Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee was not part of the virtual meeting as she was preoccupied with prior engagements. The Opposition bloc will now have two posts — convenor and chairperson.
According to reports, many leaders were of the view that the Congress chief should be named the chairperson of the bloc. However, Nitish Kumar declined the offer to become the convenor, sources said.
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. However, there are many issues which are yet to be resolved within the alliance, including that of appointing a convenor. Seat-sharing talks with members of the opposition bloc have also not been fruitful so far due to claims and counterclaims on the seats, mostly in West Bengal, and Punjab where Bhagwant Mann recently claimed that AAP will win all 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
