Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar addressed speculations surrounding his absence from the December 6 meeting of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) leaders. Kumar cited health concerns, stating he was down with a fever and emphasized his commitment to attend the next gathering. Dismissing rumors of unrest within the alliance, he asserted, “There were murmurs that I won’t attend it. This is nonsense; I had a fever at that time. Whenever the next meeting would be held, I would definitely go.”
The Congress’s attempt to promptly convene the INDIA alliance meeting faced setbacks as at least three non-Congress Chief Ministers, including Nitish Kumar, opted out, along with a former CM. Despite this, Kumar assured that his absence was due to health reasons rather than any political discord within the alliance.
The INDIA leaders’ meeting was subsequently deferred, and a coordination meeting of parliamentary party leaders within the 28-party grouping is scheduled. Gurdeep Sappal, a member of the INDIA coordination committee, announced on Twitter that a coordination meeting would take place at the residence of Congress President Sh. Mallikarjun Kharge on December 6, 2023. Following this, a meeting of Party Presidents/Heads of the India Alliance will be scheduled in the third week of December.
Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav, who initially expressed dissatisfaction with Congress over seat-sharing in Madhya Pradesh polls, adopted a conciliatory tone. He highlighted the strength of the INDIA alliance post-election results, stating, “Results of the recently concluded polls would only strengthen and consolidate the INDIA alliance. And this should worry the BJP.”
