On Monday, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut stated that there has been no meeting to appoint a convener or chairperson for the opposition INDIA alliance. As the Lok Sabha polls draw near, the opposition INDIA bloc parties convened on December 19, 2023, aiming to promptly finalize seat-sharing agreements.
At the meeting, some leaders also proposed Mallikarjun Kharge’s name as the prime ministerial face of the coalition, but the Congress chief said it is important to win first and the leadership issue can then be decided democratically.
Asked if JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar would be the face of the opposition alliance, Raut on Monday told reporters, No meeting of INDIA bloc has taken place recently. Even during the last meeting in Delhi, no such proposal came up in the INDIA bloc meeting. Raut said Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has expressed the need to have a face of the opposition bloc.
Uddhav Thackeray said in the INDIA bloc meeting in Delhi that we need to bring a face to the forefront. It will be a unanimously chosen senior leader who will work as the convener or chairperson of this alliance, the Rajya Sabha member said.