INDIA Bloc Meet Today To Choose Convener, Nitish Kumar Frontrunner

Leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc will meet virtually at 6:30 pm today to deliberate on key issues that could shape the course of the upcoming general elections, sources have said. Among the key issues on the agenda is the crucial decision on the convenor for the INDIA coalition and a common strategy to take on the BJP for the 2024 general elections.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has emerged as a leading contender for the position of convenor, a prospect that has garnered support not only from his own Janata Dal (United) party but also from the wider coalition. 

Tejashwi Yadav, Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar and member of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), recently expressed confidence in Mr Kumar's seasoned leadership. "Nitish Kumar is such a senior leader. If such a proposal comes, it will be great for Bihar," Mr Yadav said on Wednesday.

However, choosing a convener is only one facet of the many challenges faced by the INDIA bloc. The issue of seat-sharing among the parties remains a complex matter but can be "sorted" in good time, Mr Yadav said.

"We came together in Bihar after which efforts were made to bring together parties opposed to the BJP across the country, which culminated in the formation of the INDIA bloc. Hence, there is no reason to worry about seat-sharing. It will be sorted out in good time," he asserted.

The Opposition meeting comes at a time when INDIA bloc member Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is facing potential arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for his alleged involvement in the Delhi liquor policy scam. 

INDIA bloc parties are banding together under the banner of "Main Nahin, Hum" (We, Not Me) to counter Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA alliance. However, despite the message of collective action, the opposition alliance has yet to streamline an alternative common programme or appoint a convener, a spokesperson, and a common secretariat.

The BJP's recent victories in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh have further intensified pressure on the opposition to present a united front. The Congress's near wipeout in the Hindi heartland might force them to reinvent their action plan. 

INDIA bloc's first meeting was held in Patna on June 23, the second in Bengaluru on July 17-18, and the third in Mumbai between August 31 and September 1.