Nitish Kumar Likely To Be Appointed Convenor Of INDIA Bloc In Virtual Meeting Today

As the INDIA alliance of Opposition parties gears up for seat-sharing discussions ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, there is speculation that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar might be made the Opposition bloc's National Convenor.

On Wednesday, a virtual meeting of opposition parties will take place and this decision is expected to be endorsed by bloc members, India Today reported citing sources.

The Congress has spoken to Nitish and Lalu over this matter on Tuesday. Also, other members of the alliance have also been consulted over Nitish being appointed the convenor.

The Bihar Chief Minister has spoken to former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday.

Moreover, sources indicate that Arvind Kejriwal, another key member of the alliance, has voiced his endorsement of the proposal to appoint Nitish Kumar as the convenor.

The longest-serving Chief Minister of Bihar has consistently stated that he has moved beyond any "personal ambitions." However, critics argue that during the last meeting of the INDIA bloc in Delhi on December 19, he appeared displeased when a couple of leaders suggested declaring octogenarian Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge as the Prime Ministerial candidate.

Following the proposal, Kumar stated to reporters that he had no objections to Kharge, who, in turn, suggested delaying such a decision and focusing on winning enough seats to form the next government.

In a move signalling his spirited approach to the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Kumar, in his early 70s, assumed the role of national president of the JD(U) a week after the INDIA meet.

Buoyed by the anticipation of a "second Mandal wave" after his government's caste survey and subsequent quota increases for deprived social groups, Kumar seems determined to replicate this success on a national scale by advocating for a country-wide caste census.

Despite downplaying the significance of a formal designation, Kumar has voiced his concern about the sluggish progress within the opposition coalition. He emphasizes the urgency of finalizing seat-sharing arrangements "at the earliest, without wasting much time."