INDIA bloc to meet on June 1, TMC to stay away

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, who is one of the senior-most leaders of the opposition bloc, has convened the meeting…reports Asian Lite News

The top leaders of the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) are likely to meet in the national capital on June 1 to assess their performance in the Lok Sabha elections and chalk out their strategy ahead of the results.

The sources said the proposed meeting will be convened in the afternoon of June 1 when the last phase of polling will be underway.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, who is one of the senior-most leaders of the opposition bloc, has convened the meeting, they said.

The sources in the Trinamool Congress (TMC) said party supremo Mamata Banerjee, general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and other top leaders will be voting on the day and hence, will be unable to attend the meeting and pointed out that the party has so far attended all meetings of the opposition bloc.

The TMC has conveyed this to the organisers, the sources added. Voting will take place on nine seats in West Bengal on June 1, including two seats in Kolkata — Kolkata Dakshin and Kolkata Uttar.

The other constituencies that go to polls in the state include Jadavpur, Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jayanagar, Mathurapur and Diamond Harbour.

During the meeting, the opposition leaders will discuss their strategy ahead of the June 4 results and assess their performance in the seven-phase elections, they said.

The opposition alliance has been claiming that it will be able to stop the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) from returning to power at the Centre and cobble together a government of its own.

The first meeting of the opposition INDIA bloc was held in Patna on June 23 last year, followed by a meeting in Bengaluru on July 17-18, 2023, and then in Mumbai between August 31 and September 1, where the opposition parties adopted resolutions to unitedly contest the Lok Sabha elections.

The fourth meeting of the opposition bloc was held in Delhi on December 19. The next time the opposition leaders came together was in Delhi on March 31, when top leaders shared the stage at the ‘Save Democracy’ rally held against the arrests of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren.

While the TMC, which is in power in West Bengal, does not have any seat-sharing deal with the Congress or any other INDIA bloc party in their home state, its candidate Laliteshpati Tripathi in Uttar Pradesh’s Bhadohi has been supported by ally Samajwadi Party.

Meanwhile, the ruling alliance led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also claimed that it will form the government at the Centre for the third successive time after these elections.

Twenty-eight opposition parties came together to form the INDIA bloc. However, some parties such as Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal-United and the Rashtriya Lok Dal later switched over to the NDA.

Mamata’s statement comes as top opposition leaders, including Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, decided to meet in Delhi to assess their performance in the Lok Sabha elections and chalk out their strategy ahead of the results.

The Bengal chief minister, while addressing an election rally, clarified that her schedule wouldn’t let her attend the meeting in Delhi. “The INDIA bloc meeting has been fixed on June 1. But I have already said I can’t go on June 1 as there is an election in our state on that day. So far I know there are elections in Punjab, UP and Bihar. Voting will continue till 6 pm, and at times it extends beyond that (6 pm),” she said.

She added that the relief work too is keeping her occupied. “How can I leave everything behind and go? My priority is relief work. Even if I am holding a meeting here, my heart goes out to those people (affected by the cyclone),” she said at the Kolkata rally.

Mamata had refused to be part of the coalition in the West Bengal elections, opting to go solo while stressing that she remained committed to the opposition alliance at the national level.

On June 1, voting will be conducted on nine seats, including two seats in Kolkata, which are crucial for the party. Apart from the Kolkata Dakshin and Kolkata Uttar, other constituencies in the state that will go to polls on that day include Jadavpur, Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jayanagar, Mathurapur and Diamond Harbour.

Besides, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, its national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and other top leaders will exercise their franchise on the day.

The TMC has so far attended all meetings of the opposition bloc.

Meanwhile, the INDIA bloc meeting will focus on the strategy ahead of the June 4 results and assess their performance in the seven-phase elections, said reports.

This is also the fifth meeting of the INDIA bloc, the first held in Patna on June 23 last year. This was followed by a meeting in Bengaluru on July 17-18, 2023, and then in Mumbai between August 31 and September 1. It was during the third meeting that the opposition parties adopted resolutions to unitedly contest the Lok Sabha elections.

The fourth meeting of the opposition bloc was held in Delhi on December 19.

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