Seat-Sharing, Parliament Strategy On Agenda At I.N.D.I.A Coordination Panel Meet, Says DMK's TR Baalu

Discussions on the seat-sharing formula and evolving a broad outlay of Lok Sabha election campaign strategy will be high on agenda of the first meeting of the opposition bloc's Coordination Committee.

New Delhi: The Opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A will discuss seat-sharing and the strategy for the upcoming special parliamentary session in its first coordination committee meeting on Wednesday, DMK leader TR Baalu said, as reported by news agency ANI. Speaking to the agency, the DMK MP said, “We (Opposition alliance) will also discuss seat sharing and the strategy for the special Parliamentary session.”

The government has convened a five-day special parliamentary session from September 18-22.

Jammu and Kashmir National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said the opposition leaders will discuss the formula of seat sharing for the Lok Sabha elections in its coordination committee meeting.

Speaking to news agency PTI, he said, “We should begin discussions over seat sharing. The formula over seat sharing and how new members will be included in the group. I think there should a discussion over all these things.”

Meanwhile, slamming the Opposition bloc ahead of their meeting, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said the members in the I.N.D.I.A alliance are known for their “corruption” and a mere change of name from of their bloc won’t change their character, PTI reported.

Speaking to the media, the Union Minister said, “These faces (of I.N.D.I.A alliance) are all known for corruption. Some of them are on bail and some have returned after serving time in jail. People know them all, changing the opposition bloc’s name (to I.N.D.I.A) won’t change their character.”

Responding to BJP terming the coordination committee meeting as an "anti-Hindu" huddle, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, as quoted by ANI said, "No one in this country is anti-Hindu...Every religion in this country is respected."

According to reports, discussions on the seat-sharing formula and evolving a broad outlay of Lok Sabha election campaign strategy will be high on agenda of the first meeting of the opposition bloc's Coordination Committee on Wednesday. The meeting of the 14-member panel of the opposition will take place at the residence of NCP leader Sharad Pawar in New Delhi.