INDIA Bloc Meeting Begins; Seat Sharing Likely on Agenda

New Delhi: The fourth meeting of the 'Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc is underway in the national capital on Tuesday.

The meeting comes amid the political tensions escalating between the Opposition and the BJP-led central government over the demand of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's statement over the Parliament security breach.

An unprecedented number of MPs, a total of 141, were suspended from the Parliament.

On the prevailing situation, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is in the national capital to meet PM Modi, said, "The voices of the people have been choked. Let them suspend the House first. They have no moral right to run this House to suspend the opposition fully...They will run a mockery, nothing else. It is a mockery of democracy."

"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 alliance, led by the Congress, took shape with the primary objective of mounting a combined challenge to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in next year's general elections.

Seat-sharing for next year's Lok Sabha elections is likely to figure prominently in the discussions at the huddle, according to sources.

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 the Congress, especially after its poll drubbing in the heartland states of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.

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 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.