Tremor in INDIA Alliance, Nitish Kumar Blames Congress for Lack of Progress

New Delhi: A Tussle seems to have started among the INDIA alliance partners. On Thursday, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar blamed the Congress party for the lack of progress in Opposition’s preparations for the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.

The JDU chief and the key person behind the formation of the Opposition’s INDIA bloc alleged that the Congress party was given the leadership role in the alliance but it is busy with assembly elections in five states. According to Nitish Kumar, this attitude of the Congress is hindering their preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

While addressing a CPI-M rally in Patna, Nitish Kumar said, “We have been speaking to them… pushing them forward in the INDIA alliance. But, of late, there has not been much progress on that front. The Congress seems to be more interested in the five assembly polls.”

“We agreed to assign Congress the leading role. But it appears they will call the next meeting only after they are through with the state elections,” the Janata Dal (United) leader added.

The Opposition’s INDIA bloc leader last met in Mumbai on September 1. They have not met since then. The Congress party was assigned the leadership role and was supposed to decide on the next date of INDIA bloc leaders’ meeting. But the party has not announced the date of the next meeting as its leaders are busy in election campaigns in five states.

At least 28 Opposition parties have come together to form the INDIA alliance. Parties in the alliance have not shared seats for coming assembly polls in five states.

Akhilesh Yadav, whose Samajwadi Party is also a member of the INDIA bloc, in recent past also accused the Congress of “betrayal” in Madhya Pradesh assembly elections.