Mallikarjun Kharge named INDIA bloc chief, Nitish refuses convener post: Sources

After a series of meetings and deliberations, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge was named as the chairperson of the Opposition-led INDIA bloc on Saturday, sources told India Today.

However, an official announcement regarding the same is still awaited. The development comes as leaders of the INDIA bloc held a virtual meeting to review the seat-sharing agenda, participation in “Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra” and other matters related to the alliance, earlier today.

Meanwhile, leaders present at the meeting also decided to appoint Nitish Kumar as the convener of the bloc. However, Nitish Kumar’s party said he was not after any position. The Bihar Chief Minister has reportedly turned down the proposal, saying someone from the Congress should take up the responsibility.

A final call on the convener post will be taken after a discussion with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and leaders of other parties who were not present at the meeting.

In December last year, Mamata Banerjee had proposed Kharge as the alliance’s Prime Ministerial candidate. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had also backed the proposal.