1. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was named chairperson of the INDIA alliance in a virtual meeting with 14 Opposition parties.
2. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar declines the convenor post, insisting on consensus among all parties.
3. The meeting aimed to review seat-sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and discuss the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and other crucial matters.
New Delhi, Jan 13: In a virtual meeting attended by leaders of 14 Opposition parties, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was appointed as the chairperson of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) alliance.
However, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar rejected the post of convenor, stating that he would only accept the role when all parties reach a consensus.
The meeting included leaders like Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar, and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
The majority of INDIA alliance constituents supported Nitish Kumar as convenor and Mallikarjun Kharge as the chairperson.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who skipped the meeting, opposed Kumar’s appointment, leading to a delay in announcing the decision until her agreement.
Kumar, expressing disinterest in any post, received dissatisfaction from JD-U representatives and party president Lalan Singh.
Banerjee had expressed her disappointment in being informed only 16 hours before the meeting.
Akhilesh Yadav from the Samajwadi Party and Uddhav Thackeray from Shiv Sena also did not attend the virtual meeting.
The meeting aimed to discuss seat-sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, participation in Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, and other matters.
Rahul Gandhi informed alliance partners about starting his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra on Monday, urging other parties to participate in their respective states.
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Following seat-sharing talks, discussions on the appointment of a chairperson and convenor took place. Kharge was proposed for the position of the opposition bloc’s chief, and Kumar for the convenor.
As Kumar expressed reservations, members debated whether to make an immediate announcement. It was suggested that the announcement be limited to Kharge’s appointment, as Banerjee and Yadav were absent.
Lalan Singh expressed opposition to Kumar’s appointment, and it was proposed that Kejriwal and Pawar convince Banerjee to agree to Kumar’s appointment, while Kumar’s allies in Bihar, Lalu Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav, would convince him to accept the convenor position. Members agreed to inform each other of the outcomes of these assignments.
