INDIA bloc meeting Mumbai Highlights: The two-day meeting of the Opposition INDIA alliance in Mumbai concluded on Friday, with the bloc resolving to to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls together “as far as possible”, asserting that seat-sharing arrangements in states will be concluded at the earliest in a spirit of “give-and-take”. Several leaders of the Opposition bloc, including Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, RJD leader and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad, among others, spoke during the press conference. Rahul Gandhi said that two important decisions were taken in the two-day session. First, a coordination committee will be constituted, and second a seat sharing formula will be discussed soon and a resolution will be brought soon.
Top leaders of the opposition bloc Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance or INDIA began hectic parleys on the first day of the third joint meeting of the alliance in Mumbai on Thursday to chart out a concrete roadmap to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
INDIA Alliance Meet Day 2 Highlights: 63 leaders of 28 parties in Mumbai for INDIA meet; Read all the latest updates from the INDIA alliance meeting in Mumbai.
NCP leader Sharad Pawar says, "I promise we will not stop. We will not take the wrong road. The ones who are on the wrong path, we will try to bring them on the right path, if they don't come, we will fight them. And for this purpose, all INDIA parties will work together."
"I spent a week in Ladakh. I went to Pangong Lake, right in front of where the Chinese are. I had a detailed discussion with the people of Ladakh, especially with the shepherds, leaders and common people. They categorically told me that the Chinese have taken Indian land, the PM is lying about the fact that the Chinese have not taken Indian land. Every single person in Ladakh knows that they have been betrayed by the government of India. There is clearly an accommodation that has happened between the government and the Chinese, there is clearly a change on the borders," claims Rahul Gandhi.
"The PM and the BJP are a nexus of corruption. And this is the first thing, that the INDIA alliance will demonstrate and prove," says Rahul Gandhi.
"We are going to put together a clear set of ideas that will involve the poor, farmers in the progress of the nation," he adds.
"The real work in the alliance is the relationship that has forged between the leaders of the alliance. The meeting has helped in building the rapport of the leaders. I can see there is flexibility in all leaders in the way we are approaching things... Of course, there are differences. But, I am extremely impressed by the way differences are being ironed out," says Rahul.
"Two big steps have been taken in this regard in this meeting. The coordination committee and the second is to expedite the seat sharing discussion," says Rahul Gandhi.
Sitaram Yechury speaks at INDIA meet in Mumbai.
"We are all united. We are here to save the character of the Indian Republic. We are here to save the Constitution," he says.
"You will see many things happening as this grouping gets more consolidated...When we met for the first time in Bengaluru, NDA was resurrected, second time gas prices were brought down, we met for our third meeting, there's a Special Session of Parliament was convened. The BJP and the Modi government is rattled by all the secular parties coming together," says Yechury.
"Seat sharing will start now. There will be no hurdles and we will be successful. Even if there's little issue, we will make INDIA win and defeat BJP," says Lalu Prasad Yadav.
RJD leader and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad speaks during INDIA meet in Mumbai.
"We all were not together, and the country had to suffer, and Modi came to power...In India, minorities are not safe, there's inflation, and vegetable prices have soared," he says.
"I have attended three meetings. All of it has been with love, there have been no fights. All people have come here for no greed for post. In the meeting in Mumbai, everyone has taken responsibility... I am hopeful, we all will defeat this corrupt government," says Kejriwal.
Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal speaks at the INDIA meet in Mumbai.
"This INDIA alliance is just not an alliance on 28 parties, but of all countrymen...It is a sad reminder that the Modi government is the most corrupt in Independent India," says Kejriwal.
INDIA alliance's Working Group for Social Media: 1. Supriya Shrinate, INC 2. Sumit Sharma, RJD 3. Ashish Yadav, SP 4. Rajeev Nigam, SP 5. Raghav Chadha, AAP 6. Avindani, JMM 7. Iltija Mehbooba, PDP 8. Pranjal, CPM 9. Bhalchandra Kango, CPI 10. Ifra Jan, NC 11. V Arun Kumar, CPI(ML) 12. TMC (to give name later) - PTI
INDIA alliance's Campaign Committee: 1. Gurdeep Singh Sappal, INC 2. Sanjay Jha, JD(U) 3. Anil Desai, SS 4. Sanjay Yadav, RJD 5. PC Chako, NCP 6. Champai Soren, JMM 7. Kiranmoy Nanda, SP 8. Sanjay Singh, AAP 9. Arun Kumar, CPI(M) 10. Binoy Vishwam, CPI 11. Justice (Retd) Hasnain Masoodi, NC 12. Shahid Siddiqui, RLD 13. NK Premachandran, RSP 14. G. Devarajan, AIFB 15. Ravi Rai, CPI(ML) 16. Thirumavalan, VCK 17. KM Kadar Moidin, IUML 18. Jose K. Mani, KC(M) 19. TMC (to give name later) - PTI
INDIA alliance's Coordination Committee and Election Strategy Committee: 1. KC Venugopal, INC 2. Sharad Pawar, NCP 3. TR Baalu, DMK 4. Hemant Soren, JMM 5. Sanjay Raut, SS 6. Tejasvi Yadav, RJD 7. Abhishek Banerjee, TMC 8. Raghav Chaddha, AAP 9. Javed Ali Khan, SP 10. Lallan Singh, JD(U) 11. D Raja, CPI 12. Omar Abdullah, NC 13. Mehbooba Mufti, PDP 14. CPI-M to give name later
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar says all parties are working together.
"One in the Centre will work, will lose...The media has been captured," says Nitish Kumar.
"They want to change history. We (INDIA) will not let that happen. Everyone in the society will be uplifted. We will move ahead together," says Nitish Kumar.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar speaks during the INDIA meet in Mumbai.
"We will go everywhere and speak on pressing issues, be that inflation or employement. Everywhere autonomous bodies have been destroyed, be that ED, CBI by the Modi government," says Mallikarjun Kharge.
Speaking about the special session of Parliament, Kharge said, "No business advisory committee, or opposition parties were consulted before Centre called for the Special Session."
"You didn't call for a Special Session when Manipur was burning, COVID-19 crisis, demonetisation, migrant crisis, or even with the China issue, now a Special Session is convened, and the agenda is also under the wraps," he adds.
"Modi will never work for the poor, because his politics has always been in favour of the rich," says Mallikarjun Kharge.
INDIA parties have resolved to fight against corruption, we won't allow 'mitra-parivarvad', says Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray
"We discussed all key issues and have passed some important resolutions, especially the formation of 14-member coordination committee. Along with it, there is campaign committee, working group of social media, working group of media and working group of research have also been constituted," says Sanjay Raut.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge during the INDIA meeting in Mumbai said, "The success of both our meetings, 1st in Patna and 2nd in Bengaluru can be measured by the fact that the PM in his subsequent speeches has not just attacked INDIA but has also compared the name of our beloved country with a terrorist organisation and a symbol of slavery."
The opposition bloc INDIA, which is holding its third meeting in Mumbai, announced a coordination committee consisting of 13 members.
The panel include Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, Shiv Sena (UBT leader Sanjay Raut, RJD leader and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, AAP MP Raghav Chadha, Javed Khan from Samajwadi Party, Janata Dal United national president Lalan Singh, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, CPI leader D Raja, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah and Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday said that the countdown of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) - ruled “autocratic” government has started.
Opposition alliance INDIA on Friday passed a resolution hailing ISRO's successful launch of the Chandrayaan-3 mission and asserted that it took six decades to build, expand and deepen the space agency's capacities and capabilities.
It also hoped that its extraordinary accomplishments will strengthen the spirit of scientific temper in society and give youth the inspiration to excel in science.
The resolution adopted by the INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) on ISRO's successful Chandrayaan-3 mission said the world is looking eagerly to the launch of the Aditya-L1 mission on Saturday.
Opposition's Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc leaders posed for a group photograph ahead of their meeting in Mumbai.
On reports of the central government forming a committee to explore the possibility of 'one nation one election', Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said, "The country is already one, is anyone questioning that? We demand fair elections, not 'one nation one election'. This funda of 'one nation one election' is being brought to divert the attention from our demand of fair election."
On Thursday, around the same time as the third meeting of the Opposition bloc began with an informal gathering, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union Cabinet announced a five-day special session of Parliament from September 18 to September 22. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who sought to rake up the Adani issue afresh by holding a press conference in Mumbai, termed it a “panic decision” with the Opposition leaders set to discuss it during the Friday meeting.