MUMBAI: Ahead of the third meeting of the INDIA bloc in Mumbai, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) national president Jayant Chaudhary on Thursday said like-minded opposition parties will work together to take the country forward.
Representatives of 26 opposition political parties (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance bloc) descended on Mumbai on Thursday to carry forward the process of laying out a national roadmap against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre.
Speaking to ANI after arriving in Mumbai, Chaudhary said, "Like-minded opposition parties will work together to take the country forward. INDIA will expand and more parties will join us in the days ahead."
Peoples Democratic Party President Mehbooba Mufti, who also arrived in Mumbai on Thursday for the two-day huddle starting on Thursday, said, "Judega Bharat, Jeetega INDIA (Bharat will unite, INDIA will win)", flashing a victory sign as she left the airport.
Earlier, on Thursday, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Anil Desai said two more Maharashtra-based regional parties will join the Opposition bloc.
Speaking to ANI, Anil Desai said, "Two more regional parties in Maharashtra will join INDIA, taking the total number of parties in the alliance from 26 to 28."
The INDIA leaders would go into an informal huddle on Thursday and the same would be followed by a formal meeting on September 1.
While the discussion among the partner leaders in the bloc would centre on the battle plan for the next general elections and a seat-sharing formula, the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) is also likely to unveil its logo during the two-day meeting starting Thursday.
The first meeting was held in Patna in June while the second meeting was held in the Congress-ruled state of Karnataka in mid-July. The third meeting is being organised by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the Opposition alliance in Maharashtra comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction led by Sharad Pawar.