Leaders of the India Alliance, a coalition of opposition parties, met in New Delhi on Saturday to discuss seat sharing and the convenorship of the alliance. The meeting was chaired by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. Other leaders who attended included Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, and Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav.
Pawar said that the meeting was productive and that the leaders agreed on a number of issues, including the need to finalize seat sharing as soon as possible. He also said that Kharge would be the convenor of the alliance. Pawar said that the alliance would soon announce its strategy for the upcoming general elections.
Dispute Over West Bengal Seats
One issue that was discussed at the meeting was the allocation of seats in West Bengal. The Trinamool Congress (TMC), which is led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, is the dominant party in the state. However, other parties in the alliance are also seeking to contest seats in West Bengal.
Pawar said that the issue of seat sharing in West Bengal was still being discussed and that a decision would be made soon.
No Consensus on Prime Minister Candidate
Pawar was also asked about the alliance's candidate for prime minister. He said that there was no consensus on a candidate at this time, but that the alliance would soon announce its decision. The India Alliance is seen as a major challenge to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming general elections.