Mumbai: The I.N.D.I.A. block has finalised September 1 as the day for its formal meeting in Mumbai. Leaders of all parties will have informal discussions a day ahead of the main meeting, and the block shall seek help from the MahaYuti (grand alliance) government in the state for the security arrangements, Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut has said.
"Chief Ministers of five states will be attending the meeting. Also, several prominent leaders from across the nation will be attending the meet. We shall approach the state government for the security of all these leaders. Some of the leaders will discuss the issue with the government and ensure that all the necessary arrangements are made," Raut told the media after the meeting of MVA leaders at Worli.
The meeting was attended by NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, former CM Uddhav Thackeray, MPCC Chief Nana Patole, CLP leader Balasaheb Thorat, LoP Vijay Wadettiwar, MP Supriya Sule, Subhash Desai, and others. The meeting lasted for over two hours, after which Raut interacted with the media.
Uddhav Thackeray to Host Dinner Party on September 1
The leaders will gather in Mumbai on August 31, and they will have informal discussions throughout the day. In the evening, Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray will host a dinner party. On September 1, the main meeting shall take place, and the leaders will address a press conference after the meeting, Raut said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) is the host for this forthcoming meeting in Mumbai, which is to be held at Hotel Grand Hyatt at Vakola, Raut said, adding that after today's meeting, everybody is confident that, like the meetings in Patna and Bengaluru, the meeting in Mumbai will be a grand success.
"It's a great task for us since this is the first place where the alliance members are not ruling the state," Raut said. "We shall coordinate with the government since security concerns for so many leaders coming to Mumbai are high," he added.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has met RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav and discussed a host of issues, including the way forward for the opposition bloc INDIA, Raut said while talking about the probable issues to be discussed at the meeting.
The first opposition meet was held in Patna in June, followed by Bengaluru in July. The alliance is also likely to announce the composition of committees for specific actions such as communication and the 2024 general election campaign in the run-up to the polls. A joint secretariat for better coordination among the parties is also to be announced soon, he added.
INDIA
At the Bengaluru meeting, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had announced the new name of the opposition bloc Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). He had said a committee of 11 members would also be set up for coordination, and a convenor would be selected at the next meeting in Mumbai.
The 26 opposition parties that are part of the opposition alliance are the Congress, TMC, DMK, AAP, JD(U), RJD, JMM, NCP (Sharad Pawar), Shiv Sena (UBT), SP, NC, PDP, CPI(M), CPI, RLD, MDMK, Kongunadu Makkal Desia Katchi (KMDK), VCK, RSP, CPI-ML (Liberation), Forward Bloc, IUML, Kerala Congress (Joseph), Kerala Congress (Mani), Apna Dal (Kamerawadi), and the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK).
