Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar declined the post of I.N.D.I.A. bloc convenor, a source informed ABP News. JDU leader Sanjay Kumar Jha on Saturday stated that Nitish Kumar wanted the convenor to be from Congress party. Meanwhile, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has been named as the chairperson of the opposition I.N.D.I.A. bloc, according to the soures, PTI reported. The decision was made unanimously at a virtual conference of the top leaders of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc on Saturday.
The decision will be communicated to Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee, who were not present at the meeting.
According to news agency IANS, Bihar minister Sanjay Jha, who took part in the meeting confirmed that there was a proposal for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to become the convener of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc. “However, Nitish Kumar refused the proposal and offered the post to Congress. The Chief Minister showed no interest in taking the post,” Jha said, as quoted by IANS.
The coalition, created to confront the Narendra Modi-led BJP juggernaut in the 2024 general election, had been experiencing internal hurdles over a number of topics, including the contentious selection of a convenor. The JD(U) wanted Nitish Kumar to be the convener, but the TMC opposed the proposition, according to PTI.
On Saturday afternoon, the I.N.D.I.A. bloc leaders convened virtually to discuss the seat-sharing agenda, participation in the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, and other critical alliance matters.
Sharad Pawar, the head of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), participated at the I.N.D.I.A. bloc leaders' conference in Mumbai via video conferencing.
MK Stalin, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK leader, and party leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi participated in the meeting via video conference in Chennai.
According to the PTI, Saturday's discussion was the second such attempt to have a virtual meeting, since the first failed a few days before.
Under the umbrella of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), 28 opposition parties have banded up to take on the BJP and defeat it in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.