Mallikarjun Kharge takes the helm as Chairperson of the INDIA alliance

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has been named the Chairperson of the opposition bloc INDIA. As per reports, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was another contender for the position, however, at the meeting he said that a representative from Congress should assume the role. The INDIA Alliance meet held virtually on Saturday was attended by the representatives from the various parties, however, Trinamool Congress and the Samajwadi Party were not in attendance.

The INDIA Alliance is a coalition of opposition parties, including the Congress. Ahead of the all-important 2024 Lok Sabha elections, this alliance was formed to fight against the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, and thwart its bid for a third consecutive term. However, it is important to note that pressing issues such as seat sharing and a joint campaign remain unticked from the INDIA alliance’s to-do list.

Several leaders at the meeting today emphasized on the need to maintain unity at a national level, underscoring the importance of preventing any disruptions within the alliance stemming from state-level differences. The consensus among these leaders was to prioritize the pressing issues, and employ an untied approach in order to strengthen the alliance's effectiveness in countering the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the Bharatiya Janata Party during the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.