Will attend INDIA bloc meeting in Mumbai: Arvind Kejriwal
Arvind Kejriwal confirmed to reporters that he will be attending the Opposition alliance meeting scheduled to be held in Mumbai by the end of this month
Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Monday (August 21) told reporters that he will be attending the Opposition alliance meeting scheduled to be held by the end of this month in Mumbai.
Speaking to reporters at the sidelines of an event in Delhi, Kejriwal said that he will be going to Mumbai. "Will share with you the outcome," responded Kejriwal, when asked if he would join the upcoming meeting of the Opposition parties in Mumbai.
The meeting of the Opposition bloc INDIA is scheduled to be held on August 31 and September 1 in Mumbai. This will be the third meeting of the bloc forged to take on the BJP-led NDA in the upcoming general election.
According to sources, the Mumbai meeting would be held in the format of the Bengaluru meeting with leaders first conversing in an informal setting on August 31 before the main meeting the next day. During the meeting, the parties are expected to iron out their differences as much as possible, especially in states where they are in a direct poll battle.
The meeting is being hosted jointly by the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP's Sharad Pawar faction, with support from the Congress -- the three constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance.
The INDIA bloc's first meeting was held in Patna in June and the second one in Bengaluru last month.
At the Bengaluru meeting, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had announced the name of the Opposition bloc -- Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) -- after a nearly four-hour-long meeting of the 26 parties.
He had said an 11-member committee will be set up for coordination, and a convenor will be selected, at the next meeting in Mumbai.
The 26 opposition parties which are part of the opposition alliance are: the Congress, TMC, DMK, AAP, JD(U), RJD, JMM, NCP (Sharad Pawar), Shiv Sena (UBT), SP, NC, PDP, CPI(M), CPI, RLD, MDMK, Kongunadu Makkal Desia Katchi (KMDK), VCK, RSP, CPI-ML (Liberation), Forward Bloc, IUML, Kerala Congress (Joseph), Kerala Congress (Mani), Apna Dal (Kamerawadi), and the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK).
(With input from agencies)
