Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi dismissed reports of discord within the INDIA bloc, asserting that the rescheduled meeting of party heads, initially slated for November 5, would now take place in the third week of December. Chaturvedi clarified that the alliance, comprising several Chief Ministers, faced scheduling conflicts, leading to the postponement.
She stated, "The meeting has been called immediately after the election outcome. Discussions about calling the meeting were going on earlier too. Since the alliance has sitting CMs and they were having trouble coming to Delhi by dropping everything else, they expressed their inability to join the meeting."
Emphasizing the unity within the alliance, Chaturvedi added, "But there is no problem of any kind. We will rework around the schedule...The meeting will be held at the earliest, and within the INDIA alliance, we will discuss the upcoming strategies." Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut echoed this sentiment, affirming that despite the absence of prominent leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, MK Stalin, and Nitish Kumar, the alliance remained intact. Raut expressed confidence in the alliance's success, stating, "We are together, and you will see its result in 2024."
However, the BJP criticized the INDIA alliance, dismissing it as a mere photo opportunity without substantive cooperation. Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal commented, "When Kamal Nath had made the remark for Akhilesh Yadav, it had become clear that this alliance is just for photos but not in reality." The alliance faced challenges earlier when Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the Congress of betrayal, leading to a failure in reaching a seat-sharing agreement for the Madhya Pradesh election.
Yet, the Samajwadi Party has softened its stance, with spokesperson Rajinder Chaudhary suggesting that the recent election results would strengthen the INDIA bloc. Chaudhary stated, "The results of the recent elections will further strengthen the India Alliance, and these results should be a matter of concern for the BJP." He asserted confidence in the public's desire for change, predicting success for the alliance in Uttar Pradesh.
The rescheduling of the INDIA bloc meeting coincided with reports of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav likely skipping the meet, indicating the ongoing challenges in coordinating the schedules of key leaders within the alliance.