Opposition's Strategy Meeting: Key Leaders Skip, INDIA Bloc Decides to Postpone

A significant development has unfolded within the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc as several key leaders have chosen to skip the much-anticipated strategy meeting slated for December 6. This meeting, initially expected to bring together the chiefs of member parties to discuss election strategies and seat sharing ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, is now facing a postponement.

According to Gurdeep Singh Sappal, a member of the Congress Working Committee, the alliance will proceed with a coordination meeting involving Members of Parliament (MPs) from different member parties. However, the crucial gathering of party chiefs, originally scheduled for the third week of December, is now in question due to the absence of key leaders.

The coordination meeting, set to take place at 6 pm on December 6, 2023, at the residence of Congress President Sh. Mallikarjun Kharge, holds significance as it aims to align the parliamentary party leaders within the INDIA alliance. The subsequent meeting of Party Presidents or Heads of the India Alliance, planned for the third week of December, will likely see a rescheduling to accommodate the participation of all members.

The INDIA bloc, which consists of 28 member parties, has previously convened three meetings in various cities – Patna on June 23, Bengaluru on July 17-18, and Mumbai on August 31 and September 1. Each of these gatherings was intended to foster coordination and set the stage for a united front against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming national elections.

The BJP, quick to seize the opportunity, took a jibe at the Opposition alliance, suggesting that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's decision to skip the meeting indicates a lack of faith in the INDIA bloc's future. West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar remarked that Mamata Banerjee's absence signifies a realization that the INDIA alliance holds no promising prospects.

BJP MP Dilip Ghosh further raised questions about the whereabouts of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, a prominent figure in spearheading the Opposition coalition. Ghosh expressed confusion over Mamata Banerjee's actions, adding an element of uncertainty to the state of affairs within the alliance.

As the INDIA bloc navigates this unexpected development, political observers and the public alike eagerly await updates on the rescheduling of the postponed strategy meeting and the subsequent implications for the Opposition's collaborative efforts in the lead-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.