NEW DELHI: As some of the more prolific leaders of the INDIA bloc elected to skip the December 6 meeting, former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav revealed that the meeting has been rescheduled to December 17.
While talking to the media, Lalu said, “The meeting will happen on December 17 and we will see the participation of all the alliance members.” This development took place following some of the major players in the alliance elected to sit the meeting out, after it had been announced by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.
Leaders such as West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, former Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren and Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, had decided to sit the meeting out.
FLASH : RLD chief Lalu Yadav addresses the absence of key leaders in the ‘I.N.D.I.A Alliance’ meeting, asserting, “All will be present in the December 17th meeting”. pic.twitter.com/cpwHg067c5
— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) December 5, 2023
The meeting had been scheduled to discuss necessary developments and the strategy to be followed prior to the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. The bone of contention for the opposition alliance has been in the aspect of seat sharing. Following the Congress’ defeat in the three Hindi heartland states, concerns have been raised among the INDIA bloc, raising questions about the Grand Old Party’s dominance.
During the course of the media interaction, the former Bihar CM took a sly jab at the Congress, questioning its base in Madhya Pradesh. “Congress has not become weak, rather it is the shortage in the Congress’ leadership in MP that caused the defeat,” Lalu said.
The Grand Old Party suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Shivraj Singh Chouhan government, armed with the Laadli Behna Yojana and a female voter base of 50 per cent. The Congress-led under Kamal Nath’s presidency in the state was only able to accrue 66 seats.
FLASH : RJD chief Lalu Yadav questions Congress Madhya Pradesh president Kamal Nath leadership in MP.
On the results of assembly elections in #MadhyaPradesh, #Rajasthan and #Chhattisgarh, former Chief Minister of Bihar and RJD chief Lalu Yadav said, #Congress has not become… pic.twitter.com/JHTQMyMy6E
— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) December 5, 2023
Presently, Congress has only been able to acquire a vote base of 40.4 per cent, as opposed to their share in 2018 at 40.89 per cent. Nath is slated to hand over his resignation as MP Congress President in a few days to Kharge, according to sources, after party workers revolted against him for appearing in a photograph with CM Chouhan, following victory.