Opposition's INDIA bloc meeting tomorrow to discuss seat sharing: Mamata

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the INDIA bloc meeting, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that INDIA bloc's meeting scheduled for tomorrow will be an opportunity to discuss the seat-sharing formula among the Opposition parties, with just months ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The fourth meeting of the Opposition's grand alliance is slated to take place tomorrow in the national capital, during which seat-sharing discussions are likely to be on the agenda of various parties.

"I think all will be together. There is an opportunity to discuss this seat-sharing) matter...Tomorrow is a great opportunity to discuss it in detail. The majority of political parties will agree to one-to-one seat sharing; maybe one or two may not agree...I don't have any motto or vendetta to not walk with anybody," West Bengal CM. Responding to the delay in seat sharing in INDIA alliance, West Bengal CM said that "it s not late. Better late than never."

On delay in seat sharing within INDIA alliance, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee says, "It is not late. Better late than never..." When asked if she wants an alliance with Congress in West Bengal, CM Banerjee said that she has no problem if the grand old party has genuine things.

"Somebody must bell the cat...I don't have any problem if they have genuine things. But in West Bengal, they have only two seats. I am open to talk and discuss," she added. The next meeting of the leaders of the INDIA bloc will be held on December 19 in the national capital.

Taking to 'X', Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, "The 4th meeting of the leaders of INDIA parties will be held on Tuesday, December 19th, 2023, in New Delhi at 3 p.m."

Seat sharing for the Lok Sabha polls, which are just four months away, is likely to be at the top of the agenda for the next INDIA bloc meeting and will be crucial for Congress, particularly as the party lost Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls, the Hindi heartland states. The first meeting of the joint opposition convened in Patna on June 23 and the second meeting was held in Bengaluru on July 17-18. The third meeting happened in Mumbai on August 31-September 1.

INDIA or 'Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance' is a group of opposition parties, including the Congress. The parties have come together to take on the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which is led by PM Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and prevent it from winning a third straight term at the Centre in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

In the Mumbai meeting, the opposition parties adopted resolutions to collectively contest the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections while announcing that seat-sharing arrangements would be finalized as soon as possible through a spirit of give-and-take.

The theme chosen by the INDIA bloc for the elections is "Judega Bharat, Jeetega India" (India will unite, India will win) to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government.