Bloc logo, discussion on common minimum programme on agenda at I-N-D-I-A meet in Mumbai

The third meeting of the opposition bloc INDIA will begin in Mumbai on Thursday to discuss its strategy to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP in the Lok Sabha elections due next year and inclusion of new alliesAlong with talks on strategy and inclusion of new allies unveiling of the INDIA bloc logo and discussion on the common minimum programme CMP will be the highlight of the twoday deliberationsAs many as 63 representatives from 28 political parties will attend the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance INDIA meet on Thursday and Friday at Grand Hyatt Hotel in Mumbai reported news agency PTIThe the opposition bloc INDIA meet is hosted by the Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA the threeparty alliance of the Congress the Shiv Sena UBT and the NCP led by Sharad PawarThe alliance leaders are getting together for the third round of the brainstorming session in Mumbai after Patna and Bengaluru to chalk out their common campaign strategy to take on the NDA in the 2024 Lok Sabha electionsAt the INDIA meet the alliance would announce a coordination committee which could be of 11 members from principal opposition parties reported PTIThe opposition alliance is also likely to hold discussions on whether to have a convenor or not and whether there will be some subgroups to handle seat sharing agitational joint programmes and communication strategy reported PTIWest Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee former JampK CM Farooq Abdullah former Bihar CM Lalu Prasad Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav and CPI general secretary D Raja have already arrived in MumbaiCongress president Mallikarjun Kharge senior party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi Bihar CM Nitish Kumar Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav will arrive on ThursdayAn informal meeting of all the leaders will take place followed by a dinner hosted by Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray where the visiting leaders will get to savour the traditional Maharashtrian food including Puran Poli and also a mix of North and South Indian dishes reported PTISenior Congress leader and former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan who is heading the organising committee of the INDIA alliance meet on Wednesday told PTI the meeting in Mumbai was significant as Maharashtra has shown the country a way forward in the independence movement industrial and social revolutionsHe said the INDIA alliance has developmental agenda and has taken on the challenge to stop fascist forcesThe opposition INDIA bloc has exuded confidence that it would provide a formidable alternative to bring political change in the country and asserted that it has several prime ministerial faces against BJPs only oneThe opposition alliance has also expanded its ambit to 28 parties by including two regional outfits the Peasants and Workers Party of India PWP a Marxist political party in Maharashtra and another regional outfitMamata Banerjee on her arrival in Mumbai tied Rakhi on Thackeray and Amitabh Bachchan on WednesdayTo a query on who will be the INDIA alliance PM candidate Mamata Banerjee said India will be our PM face Our primary concern is to save the country she saidAddressing a press conference here NCP leader Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said he has confidence that the opposition alliance will provide a formidable alternative to bring about a political change in the countryHe said there has been no discussion on seat sharing within the INDIA allianceFormer chief minister and Shiv Sena UBT president Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said the alliance of opposition parties belonging to different ideologies has the common objective of protecting democracy and Bharat MataOn the INDIA alliance PM face Thackeray said We have a lot of choices the question is what choice the BJP hasWith inputs from PTI