JD(U) MP Sunil Kumar Pintu said on Wednesday that despite the presence of prominent leaders from various parties at the recent Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A) meeting, the discussions remained limited.
"The meeting primarily revolved around tea and biscuits, given the Congress party's recent announcement about its financial constraints and its appeal for donations. So, yesterday's meeting finished on just tea and biscuits without samosa and without any discussion on any serious issue," Pintu was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Responding to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's proposal of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as the prime ministerial candidate for the bloc, Pintu acknowledged it as Banerjee's "personal opinion". However, he further said that there is "a strong desire among Bihar's party workers and residents for Nitish Kumar to assume the prime ministerial role".
It is to be noted that Nitish Kumar was the one who took the initiative to bring the opposition parties together. However, Kumar had denied any prime ministerial ambitions.
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Amid deliberations, the I.N.D.I.A bloc aims to finalise seat-sharing arrangements by December 31. In an earlier interaction, Banerjee highlighted Kharge's potential candidacy, suggesting he could be India's inaugural Dalit Prime Minister. This move received support from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Yet, Kharge clarified that he doesn't foreground his Dalit identity for political positioning.
Addressing potential discord within the alliance, Pintu indicated reservations about future engagements should the Congress party fail to allocate seats by the end of December. "If the Congress party is unable to divide seats by December 30, then we don't think we will be coming for any further meetings," Pintu told ANI.
Nonetheless, the bloc unanimously agreed to organise joint protests on December 22 against the recent suspension of numerous Opposition MPs during Parliament's Winter session.
Furthermore, the I.N.D.I.A bloc adopted a resolution expressing reservations about electronic voting machines (EVMs). The resolution advocated for a system where Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips are handed to voters for verification and subsequent placement in separate ballot boxes. During a private discussion, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's query about trust in EVMs was met with silence. Notably, several key figures like Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, DMK chief MK Stalin, Lalu Prasad, Akhilesh Yadav, Uddhav Thackeray, Banerjee, and Kejriwal abstained from addressing the media post-meeting, a departure from past practices.