Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is likely to be appointed as convenor of the Opposition's INDIA bloc alliance, according to sources. A virtual meeting of opposition parties will take place this week to endorse the decision, sources added.
The Congress discussed this proposed appointment with Nitish Kumar and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Tuesday.
Other partners within the INDIA alliance have also been consulted and taken into confidence, sources said. Nitish Kumar spoke to Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray about the same yesterday.
Furthermore, Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal, another prominent member of the alliance, has expressed his support for the idea of appointing Nitish Kumar as the convenor, sources claimed.
Speaking about the proposal for Nitish Kumar to become the convenor of the Opposition bloc, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said that Uddhav Thackeray will discuss the same with Arvind Kejriwal.
He added, "Nitish Kumar was very crucial in forming INDIA alliance." Raut said the Congress will not have a problem with the decision as there will be two top posts in the alliance - chairperson and convenor.
Sharad Pawar-led NCP faction leader Supriya Sule also commented on the matter, saying that she hasn't received any confirmation on Kumar's appointment as the convenor.
On December 19, the INDIA bloc parties' held their fourth meeting in Delhi where West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee proposed Mallikarjun Kharge's name as the prime ministerial candidate.
At the opposition bloc's last meeting, various issues such as seat-sharing, a joint campaign blueprint and a strategy to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls were discussed.
Notably, the Opposition alliance said it would kickstart its joint campaign for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on January 30.
INDIA is a coalition of big-tent political parties led by the Indian National Congress. It was formed to take on the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections this year. Opposition parties came together for a meeting in Bengaluru in July 2023 to form the alliance.
