By Express News Service

PATNA: Ahead of the meeting of Opposition leaders scheduled in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday asserted that more parties were likely to join the I.N.D.I.A bloc (Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance) in the near future.

He said that parties from northeast India, the eastern states, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh were interested in joining the Opposition alliance. He, however, did not name the specific parties, but said that these were all regional parties and were opposed to the BJP government at the Centre.

As many as 26 Opposition parties had held a meeting in Bengaluru last month, where the Opposition’s alliance was named, ‘INDIA’.

The Mumbai meeting is considered a crucial one as the Opposition parties would thrash out major issues like deciding the name of the convener of INDIA and also formulating a strategy for seat-sharing arrangements in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

The CM was on Sunday conducting an inspection of some ongoing development projects in the state capital. 

READ STORIES ON INDIA ALLIANCE HERE

Nitish said that BJP leaders were giving irresponsible statements against him as they were nervous over his anti-BJP drive. “I do not give any attention to their statements and there is also no need for it,” he remarked.

He reiterated that he did not want anything for himself and that his goal was to unite all the Opposition parties against the BJP before the 2024 Lok Sabha election. He also emphasised the need to make a final decision on which party would contest from which seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

Nitish is considered the frontrunner in the race for the convener of the INDIA bloc.

Earlier, RJD chief Lalu Prasad had said that there would not be a single convener of the INDIA bloc but that there would be several conveners. He contended that each convener would be responsible for three or four states for better coordination.

But Nitish had recently made it clear that any decision on the selection of the convenor would be taken at the meeting of Opposition leaders in Mumbai.

<br /> PATNA: Ahead of the meeting of Opposition leaders scheduled in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday asserted that more parties were likely to join the I.N.D.I.A bloc (Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance) in the near future.</p> <p>He said that parties from northeast India, the eastern states, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh were interested in joining the Opposition alliance. He, however, did not name the specific parties, but said that these were all regional parties and were opposed to the BJP government at the Centre.</p> <p>As many as 26 Opposition parties had held a meeting in Bengaluru last month, where the Opposition’s alliance was named, ‘INDIA’.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });</p> <p>The Mumbai meeting is considered a crucial one as the Opposition parties would thrash out major issues like deciding the name of the convener of INDIA and also formulating a strategy for seat-sharing arrangements in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.</p> <p>The CM was on Sunday conducting an inspection of some ongoing development projects in the state capital. </p> <p>READ STORIES ON INDIA ALLIANCE HERE</p> <p>Nitish said that BJP leaders were giving irresponsible statements against him as they were nervous over his anti-BJP drive. “I do not give any attention to their statements and there is also no need for it,” he remarked.</p> <p>He reiterated that he did not want anything for himself and that his goal was to unite all the Opposition parties against the BJP before the 2024 Lok Sabha election. He also emphasised the need to make a final decision on which party would contest from which seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.</p> <p>Nitish is considered the frontrunner in the race for the convener of the INDIA bloc.</p> <p>Earlier, RJD chief Lalu Prasad had said that there would not be a single convener of the INDIA bloc but that there would be several conveners. He contended that each convener would be responsible for three or four states for better coordination.</p> <p>But Nitish had recently made it clear that any decision on the selection of the convenor would be taken at the meeting of Opposition leaders in Mumbai.<br />