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After poll debacle, INDIA leaders to meet on Dec 6

Last updated on: December 03, 2023 14:21 IST

Leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc will meet at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence in Delhi on December 6 to chalk out a strategy for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, sources said on Sunday.

IMAGE: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge (second from left), AAP leaders Bhagwant Mann (fifth from left) and Arvind Kejriwal (sixth from left), TN Chief Minister MK Stalin, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Yadav, Shiv Sena-UBT's Uddhav Thackeray, Nitish Kumar and others during a press conference after the INDIA bloc leaders meeting, in Mumbai, September 1, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

During the meeting, which will be held in the evening on Wednesday, the leaders are likely to discuss and finalise their plan to unitedly take on the BJP ahead of the polls, they said.

The Congress was awaiting the results of assembly elections in five states -- Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram -- before finalising the opposition bloc's strategy and seat-sharing arrangement for the general elections.

Counting of votes for Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana elections is underway. Counting trends so far show that the BJP is set to form the government in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and the Congress in Telangana.

The counting of votes for the Mizoram assembly elections will be held on Monday.

At least 26 parties have come together as part of the INDIA bloc to take on the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections and have so far held three rounds of deliberations in Patna, Bengaluru and Mumbai.

The sources said the opposition leaders would now plan joint rallies that were put on hold due to the assembly elections. One such rally planned in the first week of October in Bhopal was cancelled at the last moment.

Talks on seat-sharing between regional outfits would also gain momentum now, they said.

Some parties like Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party and Samajwadi Party wanted early finalisation of seat-sharing but the talks were delayed due to the assembly polls.