National Desk, 5th December: The scheduled meeting of the Opposition INDIA bloc, set for Wednesday, has been postponed. Key leaders, including Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, opted not to attend.
Congress sources cited reasons for the postponement. Cyclone Michaung forced the closure of Chennai airport, preventing MK Stalin from traveling. Nitish Kumar’s health issues, along with prior commitments from Mamata Banerjee and Akhilesh Yadav, contributed to the decision to call off the meeting.
The Congress plans to reschedule the gathering two weeks later after consulting with stakeholders. Despite initially agreeing to attend, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray later canceled his flight tickets. The Aam Aadmi Party had not confirmed its attendance.
The Congress had convened the meeting in New Delhi on December 6 as the BJP gained a significant advantage in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh during the recent assembly polls.
Following a near wipeout in the Hindi heartland, the Congress must reassess its strategy for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The INDIA coalition, led by the Indian National Congress, aims to challenge the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Formed in July 2023, it comprises big-tent political parties.
In the previous opposition meeting hosted by Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and chief ministers of five states discussed electoral issues, formed a coordination committee, and passed a resolution to collectively fight the 2024 Indian general elections ‘as far as possible.’ The last meeting laid the foundation for the alliance’s approach in the upcoming polls.
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