Tejashwi to head INDIA bloc co-ordination panel

The RJD-Congress-Vikashsheel Insaan Party (VIP) and Left combine, part of the Opposition INDIA bloc in Bihar, on Thursday formed a co-ordination committee under leader of the opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav to handle all poll-related matters like seat sharing, campaign, manifesto, etc., of the coalition for the forthcoming Assembly polls in the state.

- Anirban Guha Roy

PATNA:

A decision to this effect was taken following a meeting among all six allies at the state RJD office on Thursday, which was attended by top leaders of the six allies including Tejashwi, Congress in-charge Bihar Krishna Allavaru, VIP chief Mukesh Sahani, CPI-ML(Liberation) state secretary Kunal and senior leaders of CPI and CPM.

Sources said the co-ordination committee would have two members from each of the parties with primary responsibility of drafting the common minimum programme (CMP), selecting the criteria for seat sharing among allies, developing co-ordination among workers of all six parties at the grassroots level and also running the social media campaign.

However, the INDIA bloc allies in Bihar did not spell out the chief ministerial face of the coalition in Bihar or Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) - as the coalition was previously christened in 2015 - at the joint presser after the meeting at state RJD office in Patna.

"The question is whether there is confusion over leadership in INDIA bloc or not? The answer is our coalition has unity and clarity. There is, however, confusion in the NDA," said Krishna Allavaru, while taking questions on who would be the CM face of the coalition.