INDIA’s Mumbai meet begins today; logo, coordination panel on agenda

Ahead of the crucial third round of discussions, the alliance on Wednesday (August 30) exuded confidence that it would provide a formidable alternative to bring political change in the country and asserted that it has several prime ministerial faces, unlike the BJP.

The Opposition alliance also expanded its ambit to 28 parties by including two regional outfits — the Peasants and Workers Party of India (PWP), a Marxist political party in Maharashtra, and another regional outfit.

The alliance leaders are getting together for the third round of the brainstorming session at Grand Hyatt Hotel in Mumbai, after Patna and Bengaluru, to chalk out their common campaign strategy to take on the NDA in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The Opposition alliance is likely to announce a coordination committee which could consist of 11 members from principal opposition parties, and will unveil a logo for the bloc.

It is also likely to hold discussions on whether to have a convenor or not and whether there will be some sub-groups to handle seat sharing, agitational joint programmes, communication strategy, and chalk out the common minimum programme.

Leaders arrive in Mumbai

Several chief ministers and senior leaders including Mamata Banerjee, Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav, and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad have already arrived in Mumbai besides former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah.

Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav, RJD leader and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, his Jharkhand counterpart Hemant Soren, Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann will arrive on Thursday.

Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge will also land in Mumbai on Thursday.

An informal meeting of all the leaders will take place followed by a dinner hosted by Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, where the visiting leaders will get to savour the traditional Maharashtrian food, including 'Puran Poli', and also a mix of North and South Indian dishes.

INDIA has taken on challenge to stop fascist forces: Ashok Chavan

Senior Congress leader and former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan, who is heading the organising committee of the INDIA alliance meet, on Wednesday said the meeting in Mumbai was significant as Maharashtra has shown the country a way forward in the independence movement, industrial and social revolutions.

He said the INDIA alliance has a developmental agenda and has taken on the challenge to stop fascist forces.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Congress has formed several committees to plan various aspects of the meeting of the opposition bloc.

Mamata Banerjee on her arrival in Mumbai tied Rakhi on Thackeray and Amitabh Bachchan on Wednesday.

INDIA will be our PM face: Mamata

To a query on who will be the INDIA alliance PM candidate, Mamata Banerjee said, "India will be our PM face. Our primary concern is to save the country."

Addressing a press conference, NCP leader Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said he has confidence that the opposition alliance will provide a formidable alternative to bring about a political change in the country.

He said there has been no discussion on seat sharing within the INDIA alliance.

Former chief minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said the alliance of opposition parties belonging to different ideologies has the common objective of protecting democracy and 'Bharat Mata'.

On the INDIA alliance PM face, Thackeray said, "We have a lot of choices, the question is what choice the BJP has."

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.

(With agency inputs)