The first meeting of the coordination committee of the Opposition bloc INDIA on Wednesday will focus on finalising campaigns and rallies to be held in the coming days. The meeting of the 14-member coordination committee of Opposition parties, which is the top decision making body of the group, will be held at the residence of NCP chief Sharad Pawar in Delhi.
Over two dozen opposition parties have formed the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) to take on the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance unitedly in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. RJD Spokesperson Manoj Jha said the results of the recent bypolls in seven assembly seats in six states - of which the opposition won four and the BJP three - show that a narrative is getting built in favour of the INDIA bloc and this will be discussed at length.
"The meeting of the 13th is important, meetings of the different sub-groups have been held, like the social media committee, campaign committee, research committee, all have held their meetings. The deliberations held in these meetings will get a stamp of approval. A final shape will be given to the agenda, what would be the programmes, where the campaigns will be held, it will all be deliberated upon," said, Jha who represents RJD in the Rajya Sabha.
In the recently held by-polls, results for which were announced on Friday, INDIA bloc parties won four seats - Ghosi in Uttar Pradesh, Dumri in Jharkhand, West Bengal's Dhupguri and Kerala's Puthuppally - while the BJP won two seats in Tripura and Bageshwar in Uttarakhand. In the Bageshwar Assembly seat, BJP candidate Parwati Dass defeated Basant Kumar of the Congress by a margin of 2,321 votes. Sources said as of now the meeting will avoid to deliberate on who face of the alliance for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
"In 2004, the Shining India campaign fell apart... Was there any PM name, but we got Manmohan Singh who led the nation for 10 years, and gave one of the best governments... I often say you are not buying shampoo or soap. On one hand there is a party, where no one can speak against the prime minister, is this a good system? Or the system that the opposition is proposing - a first among equals kind of system is better? We are bringing a progressive alternative for the people," said Jha.