INDIA Bloc Postpones Meet After Mamata Banerjee, Nitish Kumar And Akhilesh Kumar Snub

The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance aka INDIA bloc's meeting slated for December 6 has been postponed, said reports. According to the reports, the decision to postpone the meeting came after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav announced to skip the meeting this time.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee told the media that she had no prior information about the meeting date. She said she couldn't attend the bloc meeting due to prior engagements in North Bengal. "If informed in advance, would have rescheduled her itinerary," Mamta Banerjee added.

Samajwadi Party spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary told PTI that in place of Akhilesh Yadav, senior leader Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav or any other leader authorized by the national president will attend the meeting.

The INDIA bloc meeting now stands postponed and the next date of prominent leaders' gathering will be announced soon. However, reports suggest that the Opposition heavyweights decided to stay away from the meeting after a rift among them.

Senior Congress leader and Chief Minister's face in Madhya Pradesh, Kamal Nath, had said 'who is Akhilesh?' to a reporter who had asked him about the SP chief's demand for 6 seats in Madhya Pradesh ahead of the assembly polls.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who played big in bringing the Opposition leaders together, also thinks that a fresh strategy is needed to battle with the BJP.

JDU leader Vijay Kumar Choudhary, who has been accusing Congress of ignoring the regional fronts, said, "JD-U president Rajiv Ranjan alias Lalan Singh and water resources minister Sanjay Jha would attend the meeting. There is not much time left and the Congress should take the message from the debacle in three big states. Time demands that all the leaders of the INDIA bloc get down to brass-tacks without further delay with a practical approach and complete distribution of seats in all the states. (The) Nitish Kumar-model is of (a) united fight and if that happens win is not improbable."