Congress has extended an invitation for the forthcoming gathering of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) partners scheduled to convene in New Delhi on December 6. However, Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee revealed on Monday that she had not been informed about the opposition alliance's meeting, expressing her lack of awareness regarding the event. The Chief Minister of West Bengal highlighted that she has prior commitments in North Bengal during the specified period.
Mamata Banerjee elucidated, "I don't know about the India alliance meeting. No one told me about the meeting nor a call came. No information. I have programs to attend in North Bengal from December 6-7. I made other plans. Now if they call me now, how do I change the plan. I would have gone had they told me," she informed reporters, indicating her inability to alter her existing plans.
Due to her pre-scheduled engagement in North Bengal, Mamata Banerjee will be unable to participate in the INDIA meeting, a fact she conveyed to the media.
However, it was previously reported that the Trinamool Congress was among the alliance partners contacted by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge for the December 6 meeting.
The convening of the meeting became significant as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) achieved a decisive victory in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, surpassing the halfway mark, while also outperforming the ruling Congress in Chhattisgarh on a Sunday morning.
INDIA represents a coalition of diverse political parties spearheaded by the Indian National Congress, united to counter the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the BJP in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The formation of INDIA transpired during a gathering of opposition parties in Bengaluru in July of the current year.
The coalition's rallying cry, "United We Stand," underscores the collaborative approach of the united opposition.
The timing of the INDIA meeting aligns with the BJP's substantial victories in three out of five states that underwent assembly elections in November. The BJP successfully unseated Congress in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh while retaining a commanding majority in Madhya Pradesh. Despite the BJP's triumphs, Congress managed to displace the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Telangana.
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