INDIA Bloc’s first panel meeting today

The  INDIA bloc’s coordination committee is set to have its first meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday to set the alliance’s plan for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in motion. In the meeting, the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) is expected to deliberate on the seat-sharing formula among members along with evolving a broad outlay of campaign strategy ahead of the upcoming polls.

During the meeting of the 14-member all-important panel of the opposition at the NCP leader Sharad Pawar’s Delhi residence this evening, the bloc could also discuss the government’s ‘witch hunt’ of Opposition leaders by ‘using probe agencies’, according to sources.

The CPIM has not yet nominated any member to the committee and will be absent at the meeting. Party sources said a decision on who will represent CPIM will be taken at its politburo meeting scheduled on September 16-17.

Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee will skip the bloc’s meeting today as he has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to appear before its officers today in connection with the alleged school jobs scam.

In solidarity with Banerjee and to make a point about the ‘which hunt’, TMC has decided not to send anyone to the meeting in Banerjee’s place, sources said.

“In fact, the Abhishek Bannerjee issue and arrest of Chandrababu Naidu could figure in the talks,” they said.

Sources also said that leaders of several opposition parties have sought an early seat-sharing formula to be worked out to ensure that a joint candidate is put up from the opposition side against the BJP candidates in Lok Sabha seats.

The resolution issued on September 1, after the third meeting of the bloc, said the parties would contest polls together “as far as possible”, and that seat sharing in arrangements in different states would be “initiated immediately” and concluded “at the earliest”.

According to opposition leaders, while states like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Bihar are sorted, others like Delhi, Punjab, and West Bengal are likely to be challenging.

Several leaders said that the parties have to “shed their egos” and “vested interests” in arriving at such a formula.

While no decision has been taken on the criteria, it is likely to be based on the performance of parties on a particular seat in recent polls.

A source aware of the details said the issue of seat sharing will be addressed, even if it may not be finalised in the meeting today.

The leaders will also focus on a broad outlay of the election campaign for taking on the BJP, the sources said.

The meeting will also focus on finalising campaigns and rallies to be held in the coming days.

Leaders will also look at the decisions taken in meetings of the different sub-groups like the campaign committee, working group on media, research, and social media sub-groups.

“A final shape will be given to the agenda including what would be the programmes and where the campaign will be held. It will all be deliberated upon,” a source said.

With inputs from News18

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