INDIA’s big Mumbai decisions: Seat-sharing at earliest, 14-member coordination team

Mumbai, Sept 1: The opposition bloc INDIA, which held its third meeting in Mumbai, announced a central coordination committee consisting of 14 members from its constituent parties. The alliance also passed a resolution to jointly contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections and said that seat-sharing talks between the member parties would begin “immediately”.

INDIA bloc’s 14-member coordination panel includes the following: Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, RJD leader and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, AAP MP Raghav Chadha, DMK leader TR Baalu, Javed Khan from Samajwadi Party, Janata Dal United national president Lalan Singh, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, CPI leader D Raja, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah and Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti. A member from CPI(M) is to be announced.

The leader of the coordination panel has not yet been announced.

In a resolution released during the meeting, the INDIA bloc also said that the member parties would “contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections together as far as possible”. “Seat-sharing arrangements in different states will be initiated immediately and concluded at the earliest in a collaborative spirit of give-and-take,” the resolution also said.

Three big resolutions of the INDIA alliance were announced by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray in Mumbai. The Opposition bloc will contest the 2024 polls with the following resolutions:

Contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections together as far as possible. The seat-sharing arrangements in different states will be initiated immediately and concluded at the earliest.

Organise public rallies at the earliest in different parts of the country on issues of public concern and importance.

Coordinate communications and media strategies and campaigns on the theme of ‘Judega Bharat, Jeetega India’ in different languages.

Besides, the INDIA alliance’s campaign committee has 19 members — Gurdeep Singh Sappal (Congress), Sanjay Jha (JDU), Anil Desai, PC Chako (NCP), Champai Soren (JMM), Kiranmoy Nanda (SP), Sanjay Singh (AAP), Sanjay Yadav (RJD), Arun Kumar (CPIM), Binoy Vishwam (CPI), Justice (Retd) Hasnain Masoodi (NC), Shahid Siddiqui (RLD), NK Premachandran (RSP) G. Devarajan (AIFB) and others.

INDIA alliance’s Working Group for Social Media has – Supriya Shrinate (Congress), Sumit Sharma (RJD), Ashish Yadav (SP), Rajeev Nigam (SP), Raghav Chaddha (AAP), Avindani (JMM), Iltija Mehbooba (PDP) Pranjal (CPM), Bhalchandran Kango (CPI), Ifra Ja (NC), V Arun Kumar, (CPIM). The Trinamool Congress will announce a name later.

Earlier in the day, Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed the meeting and hit out at the BJP-led central government accusing them of “playing vendetta politics”. He alleged that the government will increasingly misuse the agencies against Opposition leaders as the INDIA bloc gains ground.

Kharge further said, “every segment of society, including farmers, youth, women, the marginalised, middle class, intellectuals, NGOs, and journalists, have suffered from the BJP’s authoritarian rule”.

The Congress leader also held the central government responsible for “hate crimes against innocent train passengers and school children.”

Sharing the group photograph of opposition leaders taken ahead of the meeting, Kharge wrote on X that the citizens of India “shall not be betrayed any more” and “140 core Indians have decided to usher in change.”

“We are united for a progressive, welfare-oriented, inclusive India. No matter how many diversions and distractions the ruling regime throws at the people, the citizens of India shall not be betrayed any more. 140 Cr Indians have decided to usher in change. The countdown of this autocratic government’s exit has begun,” the Congress president wrote.

The third meeting of the alliance was called to chalk out a campaign strategy and finalise the formal structure of the opposition bloc. The opposition leaders are likely to come out with a joint statement later on Friday.

The alliance is expected to form at least four sub-groups, each with different responsibilities. One group will be in charge of the joint agenda of the alliance, another on preparing the action plan and handling social media, and one on research and data analysis. Another sub-committee would also be set up for chalking out joint campaign and rallies.

To formulate a common agenda, the Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge has asked the leaders to prepare bullet points.

The alliance will decide on the appointment of a spokesperson. A new secretariat will also be announced during the meeting to facilitate smooth coordination between the constituents of the INDIA bloc. The secretariat is likely to be set up in the national capital.

-The India Today