Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said that the next meeting of the INDIA bloc is scheduled to take place between December 16 and 18. During this meeting, crucial decisions, including the face of the alliance, will be determined. Raut cited the unavailability of key leaders, such as Mamata Banerjee, MK Stalin, Nitish Kumar, and Akhilesh Yadav, for the postponement of the meeting.
"The INDIA alliance meeting was supposed to be held today but some prominent leaders were not available. There is a wedding in Mamata Banerjee's house, MK Stalin is busy with the relief operation in his flood-hit state, Nitish Kumar is not well, and Akhilesh Yadav is not available, therefore this meeting will be held on 16th or 18th of December. The face etc. everything will be decided in the meeting. We are together and you will see its result in 2024," Sanjay Raut said ANI quoted.
Earlier, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge had called a meeting of the INDIA bloc leaders, which had to be rescheduled due to the mentioned leaders' commitments. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren explained his inability to attend, citing prior engagements in his flood-hit state. Seat-sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, only four months away, is expected to be a key agenda item. The meeting holds significance for the Congress party, especially after losing in the Assembly polls of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh.
The INDIA bloc, formed as a joint opposition, convened its first meeting in Patna on June 23, followed by the second meeting in Bengaluru on July 17-18 and the third in Mumbai during August 31-September 1. The upcoming meeting aims to address strategies and alliances for the upcoming elections.
However, the BJP criticized the INDIA alliance, claiming it to be a mere photo opportunity without substantial impact. Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal asserted that the alliance lacked real cooperation and effectiveness.