06 September,2023 11:43 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Sanjay Raut. File Pic
The first meeting of the Coordination Committee of the I-N-D-I-A bloc will be held on September 13, the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said on Wednesday, reported news agency ANI.
Raut, while speaking to media persons in Mumbai, confirmed that the meeting will be held at Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar's residence in the national capital.
"The first meeting of the Coordination Committee of the I-N-D-I-A bloc will be held on September 13 at Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar's residence in New Delhi," Raut was quoted as saying by ANI.
Opposition bloc I-N-D-I-A (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) in its third meeting in Mumbai on September 1 announced a 14-member coordination committee.
The names of 13 members have been announced; however, the name of one person is yet to be revealed. The Opposition has yet to choose a convener.
The 14-member committee includes KC Venugopal (Congress), Sharad Pawar (NCP), TR Baalu (DMK), Hemant Soren (JMM), Sanjay Raut (SS), Tejasvi Yadav (RJD), Abhishek Banerjee (TMC), Raghav Chaddha (AAP), Javed Ali Khan (SP), Lallan Singh (JD(U)), D Raja (CPI), Omar Abdullah (NC), Mehbooba Mufti (PDP) and one leader is from the CPI(M) that will give the name later.
However, speaking about the special session of the Parliament to be held from September 18-21, Sanjay Raut asked the Centre about the agenda of the session.
"Why has the government suddenly called a special session? Sessions are called in exceptional circumstances. Is this a wedding? Is Modi's birthday being celebrated? It is BJP's farewell function. What exactly is the agenda?" Sanjay Raut was quoted as saying by ANI.
Meanwhile, the Floor Leaders of the I-N-D-I-A alliance's parties meeting was held at the residence of Congress president and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi on Monday evening.
The I-N-D-I-A bloc meeting was held amid the backdrop of the 'India versus Bharat' controversy which has triggered a huge political row in the country.
In a surprise move, the official invites to heads of state for a dinner on September 9 in Delhi were drafted to be from the "President of Bharat" instead of the "President of India".
Earlier last week, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi informed about the five-day special session of Parliament from September 18-22.
The Centre on Saturday constituted an eight-member committee to examine and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections in the country.
The members of the committee, apart from former President Kovind, include Union Home Minister Amit Shah; Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury; former Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad; former Finance Commission chairman NK Singh, former Lok Sabha secretary general Subhash C Kashyap, senior advocate Harish Salve and former chief vigilance commissioner Sanjay Kothari.
(With inputs from ANI)
