3rd INDIA meeting to kick off today in Mumbai, key agendas to be discussed

The opposition INDIA alliance will hold their third strategy meetings today on August 31 and September 1 in Mumbai.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 today. The INDIA leaders would go into an informal huddle on Thursday and the same would be followed by a formal meeting on September 1.As many as 63 representatives from 28 political parties will attend the meeting of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) on August 31 and September 1 at Grand Hyatt Hotel in Mumbai.

Ahead of the crucial third round of discussions, the opposition INDIA bloc on Wednesday exuded confidence that it would provide a formidable alternative to bring political change in the country and asserted that it has several prime ministerial faces against BJP's only one. The opposition alliance also expanded its ambit to 28 parties by including two regional outfits - the Peasants and Workers Party of India (PWP), a Marxist political party in Maharashtra, and another regional outfit. Leaders like West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav have already arrived in Mumbai.Others including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi will land in Mumbai soon. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will leave for Mumbai at around 2 pm along with Janata Dal (United) National President Lalan Singh and Minister Sanjay Jha. There is speculation that more regional outfits from Maharashtra will join the opposition alliance. Names of the parties has not been released so far. The third meeting of INDIA bloc is organised by the Maha Vikas Aghadi comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress. This is the first meeting of the opposition INDIA alliance in a state where none of the bloc members are in power. First meeting of the alliance was held in Patna and second was in Bengaluru.