'If No Agenda Is Kept Before...': Shiv Sena (UBT) Urges I.N.D.I.A To Present Coherent Seat-Sharing Formula

Following the conclusion of the I.N.D.I.A alliance meeting in Mumbai, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has emphasised the importance of the opposition bloc providing a coherent agenda for the country.

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi during the meeting of Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), in Mumbai.

Source : PTI

A day after the I.N.D.I.A alliance meeting culminated in Mumbai, the Shiv Sena (UBT) on Saturday (September 2) said the fabric stitched by its constituents will be futile if the opposition bloc does not give a proper agenda to the country. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party said in an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana' that the issue of seat-sharing should be resolved peacefully in every state, news agency PTI reported citing the party's mouthpiece. 

The INDIA alliance, comprising representatives from 28 political parties, declared its commitment to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls together "as far as possible." They also pledged to expedite seat-sharing arrangements with a collaborative spirit.

At the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Mumbai, 63 representatives from 28 political parties attended the third meeting of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A).

As per the report, the editorial noted that despite differences between parties in various states, they participated in the I.N.D.I.A alliance meeting. For instance, the Left and the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and the arch-rivals Congress and CPI(M) in Kerala set aside their disagreements to be part of the alliance. Additionally, the Aam Aadmi Party expressed a willingness to engage in discussions with the Congress in Punjab and Delhi, while Maharashtra's Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and the NCP, did not face significant internal differences.

“All these threads (parties) have been woven into an indestructible fabric, but it will be futile if no proper agenda is kept before people,” it said, according to PTI. If "dictatorship" has to be fought with, then all 28 parties must have a free dialogue, it added.

The editorial highlighted that parties from Jammu and Kashmir, such as the People’s Democratic Party led by Mehbooba Mufti and the National Conference headed by Farooq Abdullah, have also come together as part of the alliance.

While acknowledging the unity forged among these diverse political entities, the editorial stressed the need for a well-defined agenda to be presented to the people. It asserted that if there is a need to confront "dictatorship," all 28 alliance parties must engage in open dialogue, the report said. 

Furthermore, the Shiv Sena criticised the Central Government's decision to call a special session of Parliament from September 18 to 22, which coincides with Maharashtra's Ganesh festival, which is widely celebrated, according to the report.