Decision on INDIA alliance convenor to be taken tomorrow: Lalu Prasad
Mumbai: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief and former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, who has reached Mumbai to take part in the meeting of opposition parties, said a decision regarding the appointment of a national convener for the INDIA bloc will be taken on Thursday.
"It will be decided tomorrow," Lalu Yadav said answering a query.
"The agenda will be to make preparations for the times ahead. Elections are approaching. If candidates have to be decided, we need to sit together," he added.
The third meeting of opposition parties is scheduled to take place in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1. The opposition parties held the second meeting in Bengaluru and decided to call their alliance INDIA.
Lalu Prasad Yadav along with his son and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav reached Mumbai ahead of the meeting.
Before his departure to Mumbai, Lalu Yadav used Bihari slang to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said the opposition parties were working to oust the BJP-led government. " Mumbai mein Narendra Modi ke nareti (throat) pe chadhne jaa rahe hain humlog. Narendra Modi ka nareti pakde huye hain hum, hatana hai," he said.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi took a dig at Lalu Prasad and said he was not doing anything out of national interest but to make his son Chief Minister after Nitish Kumar.
"...Those who use such language are given a reply by the public. Politically speaking, the public gave a reply in 2014 and 2019. You are sitting with those who filed a case against you. Lalu Yadav is not doing anything out of national interest or state interest, he is doing everything to make his son the CM after Nitish Kumar. That is why he has forged this unholy alliance...," Joshi said.
INDIA or Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance is a group of 26 opposition parties, including the Congress. The parties have come together to take on the BJP in 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The first meeting of the joint opposition was convened in Patna in June and the second meeting was held in Bengaluru on July 17,18. The Mumbai meet is being hosted by the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction led by Uddhav Thackeray.
Opposition parties will unveil the logo for the bloc on September 1 at 10:30 in the morning.
MVA will hold a press conference on August 30 at 4 pm. An informal meeting of the opposition bloc is scheduled at 6:30 pm on August 31.
Uddhav Thackeray will host a dinner for opposition leaders on August 31.
