I.N.D.I.A Meet Highlights: Oppn To Hold Protest Against Mass Suspension Of MPs On Dec 22

I.N.D.I.A. Bloc Meeting Highlights: Follow this space for all the latest updates on the Opposition I.N.D.I.A. bloc meeting in Delhi.

Background

I.N.D.I.A. Bloc Meeting Highlights: Hello and welcome to our live blog on the Opposition I.N.D.I.A. bloc meeting in Delhi. Follow this space for all the latest updates. As the countdown begins for the looming Lok Sabha elections in 2024, the opposition consortium I.N.D.I.A. is set to convene a pivotal meeting to discuss seat allocation, a joint campaign plan, and reassess its collective strategy following setbacks in recent assembly polls.

Scheduled at the Ashoka Hotel in Delhi, the meeting aims to streamline the I.N.D.I.A. bloc's approach against the BJP.

A day before the crucial gathering, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee addressed the media, affirming that the bloc's prime ministerial candidate would be decided post the 2024 general elections, news agency PTI reported. She expressed confidence in resolving all issues, including seat-sharing, within the alliance to counter the BJP effectively. Banerjee dismissed concerns about the alliance's timing, stating, "It is better late than never." The TMC leader also hinted at the possibility of a three-way alliance in West Bengal between TMC, Congress, and the Left.

Banerjee responded to questions regarding the BJP's rising influence, stating, "The BJP is not strong; we are weak. We need to work together to overcome it", as quoted by PTI. She added that she is ready to campaign for alliance partners across the country. In a meeting with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, she discussed the prevailing political situation.

Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, also present at the meeting, highlighted the behind-the-scenes efforts of committees formed earlier and affirmed preparations for the upcoming polls. Yadav emphasized the strength of regional parties within the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, asserting that wherever regional parties exist, the BJP's presence diminishes.

Responding to queries about Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's role, Yadav stated that everyone in the opposition shares the same objective – to oust divisive forces from power. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Shiv Sena (UBT) supremo Uddhav Thackeray arrived in Delhi for the bloc's meeting.

The key challenges before the I.N.D.I.A. bloc include evolving a positive agenda, determining seat distribution, and planning joint rallies. The opposition leaders are also tasked with crafting an alternative common programme to counter the ruling dispensation. Another challenge is reaching a consensus on appointing a convener, spokesperson, and establishing a common secretariat due to differences among the alliance constituents.

The recent BJP victories in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh have heightened the pressure on opposition parties to present a unified front as they gear up for the electoral battle in 2024.

00:18 AM (IST)  •  20 Dec 2023

I.N.D.I.A Meet LIVE: Oppn alliance has already ended, BJP MP Locket Chatterjee says

"The INDIA alliance has already ended and the Assembly elections in five states have already shown that. Congress, TMC and others are only together to save themselves and their families from CBI and ED," says BJP MP Locket Chatterjee on I.N.D.I.A. alliance meeting in Delhi. (PTI)

21:21 PM (IST)  •  19 Dec 2023

I.N.D.I.A Meet LIVE: BSP MP MP Shyam Singh Yadav says Mayawati-led party should join Oppn bloc

On asking if the BSP should also be a part of the INDIA Alliance, Party MP Shyam Singh Yadav tells ANI, "If you ask me, I will say very frankly, very clearly and very unambiguously that my party should also join the INDIA Alliance. This is my personal opinion. But the BSP supremo will do what she thinks, we are bound by her decision... It is my personal opinion that the BSP should be a part of the INDIA Alliance... There is no doubt that if all the parties contest together, we will be able to give a good fight (in Uttar Pradesh)..."

20:31 PM (IST)  •  19 Dec 2023

I.N.D.I.A Meet LIVE: No point in selecting a PM face when they won't win polls, Pralhad Joshi says

"They (INDIA alliance) won't win the (2024 Lok Sabha) elections, then there is no point in selecting a PM face," says Union minister Pralhad Joshi in response to a media query on Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's remark on INDIA bloc's PM face. (PTI)

20:21 PM (IST)  •  19 Dec 2023

I.N.D.I.A Meet LIVE: BJP Releases New Poster Mocking Oppn After Delhi Huddle, Says 'Corrupt 26' Stars 'Top Looters'

BJP mocks Opposition bloc after Delhi meeting, posts: "𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐂 𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐏 𝐋𝐎𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆..."

Starring the top looters of India, 𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐠 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐥𝐦𝐬 brings 𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐔𝐏𝐓 𝟐𝟔 to theatres across the nation!

𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐂 𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐏 𝐋𝐎𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆... pic.twitter.com/nuJefPUQJA

— BJP (@BJP4India) December 19, 2023

20:15 PM (IST)  •  19 Dec 2023

I.N.D.I.A Meet LIVE -- 'Chakravyuh' to oust Rahul Gandhi, Giriraj Singh on Mamata proposing Kharge as PM face

"They (Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal) have tried to trap Mallikarjun Kharge in the 'chakravyuh' to oust Rahul Gandhi," Union Minister Giriraj Singh tells PTI.