Second Meeting of Grand Alliance Scheduled for April 24 at Sadaqat Ashram, Patna
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Synopsis
The Grand Alliance's second meeting is scheduled for April 24 at Sadaqat Ashram in Patna, focusing on strategies for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections and seat-sharing discussions.
Key Takeaways
- Second meeting of Grand Alliance on April 24.
- Focus on Bihar Assembly elections and joint campaigns.
- Initial seat demands to be presented.
- Vikassheel Insaan Party included in the alliance.
- No decision on chief ministerial face yet.
Patna, April 19 (NationPress) Following the inaugural Coordination Committee meeting of the Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan), preparations are now underway for the second series of discussions, set to occur on April 24 at the Congress state headquarters, Sadaqat Ashram, in Patna.
The meeting is expected to host several prominent figures, including Coordination Committee Chairman Tejashwi Yadav, State Congress in-charge Krishna Allavaru, State Congress President Rajesh Ram, Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) Chief Mukesh Sahani, and representatives from Left parties such as CPI-ML, CPI, and CPI-M.
According to sources within the Congress, this assembly will primarily focus on strategies for the forthcoming Bihar Assembly elections, aiming to formulate a cohesive campaign across the state and initiating a mass movement against the state government starting in May, which will include joint rallies and events across various districts.
Although a definitive seat-sharing arrangement will not be established during this meeting, participating parties are anticipated to present their preliminary seat requests, setting the stage for future negotiations.
Notably, the Vikassheel Insaan Party, which was absent from the Grand Alliance during the 2020 Assembly elections, has now joined, necessitating a revision of the previous seat-sharing agreement.
In the 2020 seat-sharing formula, the constituent parties of the Grand Alliance contested as follows: RJD on 144 seats, Congress on 70, CPI-ML on 19, CPI on 6, and CPI(M) on 4.
With the inclusion of the VIP in the Grand Alliance, it is expected that their allocated seats will decrease.
A Congress leader confirmed no decision will be made regarding the chief ministerial candidate during this upcoming meeting, reiterating the party's earlier stance, as expressed by Krishna Allavaru in the session on April 17.
Nonetheless, leaders from the RJD, including Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha and state spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari, have persistently asserted that Tejashwi Yadav will be the chief ministerial candidate for the Grand Alliance. Their comments, made shortly after the April 17 meeting, are perceived as a subtle rebuttal of Allavaru's neutral position.
Despite the mounting pressure, the Congress maintains that the decision regarding the CM candidate will be deferred until a later stage, likely closer to the upcoming Assembly elections.
The meeting on April 24 is anticipated to establish a foundation for unified campaign efforts while also emphasizing the emerging disputes over leadership representation within the alliance.
