As 28 Opposition party leaders convened for the fourth gathering of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc, a significant proposition emerged from Trinamool Congress Chief and West Bengal CM, Mamata Banerjee. She recommended Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge as the prime ministerial candidate for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections, a suggestion that found support in Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.
Kharge, however, urged the leaders to prioritize amplifying their seats in the 2024 General Elections and consolidating the INDIA bloc's power before dwelling on individual positions. Emphasizing that his focus was on securing victories rather than personal positions, Kharge's stance found unanimity among the attendees.
Discussions on seat allocations are scheduled to commence from Wednesday onward, with a tentative completion targeted by the end of December.
In a subsequent press conference, Kharge reiterated the primary objective of the alliance: augmenting their electoral strength to attain power. He deferred discussions on the prime ministerial candidacy until the alliance secured a commanding position.
The INDIA bloc's fourth meeting witnessed the presence of influential leaders such as Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal, Farooq Abdullah, Nitish Kumar, Rajiv Ranjan, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav, Uddhav Thackeray, Sanjay Raut, MK Stalin, Sharad Pawar, Akhilesh Yadav, and Ram Gopal Yadav.
Plans are underway to organize eight to ten joint public meetings starting from January. The meeting provided a platform for every leader to express their perspectives and recommendations.
(With Agency Inputs)
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