Convener appointment likely on table as INDIA bloc meets today; TMC to skip

Sources in the TMC said its chairperson Mamata Banerjee would not attend the meeting as she had pre-scheduled programmes. “We were informed at around 5 pm about the meeting at 11.30 am. It is for heads of parties. Mamata di has some pre-scheduled programmes. We told the Congress that she can attend the meeting if it is held next week, she would not be able to attend the meeting at such short notice,” a TMC leader said, adding that the Congress had not disclosed the agenda of the meeting.

“We will continue to be patient and gracious because the TMC is committed to the INDIA alliance to defeat the fascist BJP who cannot provide jobs to the youth,” said a senior party leader.

The JD(U), sources said, was of the view that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge should be appointed the president or chairperson of the alliance and Kumar the convener — a North-South combination that it feels will send a positive signal to the people in the absence of a prime ministerial face for the bloc.

The Congress is said to be not keen on heading the alliance as it knows that some of the regional parties are not comfortable with the idea. It is, however, agreeable to Kumar being appointed the convener if there is a consensus in the bloc.

The JD(U), sources said, reached out to several leaders of the alliance in the last two weeks seeking support for its proposal. The party was also upset with the lack of enthusiasm shown by the Congress on the issue. Reacting sharply to Kharge’s statement on January 6 that the alliance would meet in “10 to 15 days” to make decisions about key posts, JD(U) chief national spokesperson K C Tyagi told The Indian Express on January 7 that the grand old party should show much more urgency.

“The way the Congress chief responded to media questions on Saturday on this (convener question) did not go down well with us. We are running out of time and ideas. We still have time to catch up. But it is Congress that has to show urgency to see a vibrant INDIA bloc,” Tyagi had said.

Among those now expected to be present are heads of the Congress, NCP, DMK, Shiv Sena (UBT), AAP, RJD, CPI, JMM, National Conference, PDP, JD(U), Samajwadi Party, and the CPI(M). These parties are members of the bloc’s coordination committee. Leaders of some of the INDIA bloc parties said the TMC was not really enthusiastic about the idea of appointing Kumar as the convener. The leaders may also discuss the proposal for holding joint rallies in eight to nine state capitals and take stock of progress made in seat-sharing talks.

The meeting, sources said, would be attended by heads of 14 major parties who are members of the bloc’s coordination committee. Among those expected to be present are heads of the Congress, NCP, DMK, Shiv Sena (UBT), AAP, RJD, Trinamool Congress (TMC), CPI, JMM, National Conference, PDP, JD(U), Samajwadi Party, and the CPI(M).

The meeting comes at a time when the TMC declined to participate in seat-sharing talks with the national alliance committee of the Congress, signalling that it was not willing to concede two or at best three seats to the Congress, an offer which the state Congress has already rejected.

Leaders of some of the INDIA bloc parties said the TMC was not really enthusiastic about the idea of appointing Kumar as the convener. It has to be seen whether TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee will attend the virtual meeting or depute some other leader. The leaders may also discuss the proposal for holding joint rallies in eight to nine state capitals and take stock of progress made in seat-sharing talks.