India has announced its inaugural joint rally, set to take place in Bhopal. Following a series of meetings, the India alliance, composed of over two dozen political parties, has chosen Madhya Pradesh as the venue for their first united public gathering. The rally is scheduled for the first week of October, as confirmed by DMK lawmaker TR Baalu. Additionally, Baalu mentioned that the alliance will soon engage in discussions regarding seat allocation for the forthcoming state assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Baalu stated, “We have decided to commence discussions on seat-sharing arrangements in various states. Priority will be given to states with imminent assembly elections. The inaugural rally will be held in Bhopal during the first week of October.”

The Coordination Committee of the India alliance, comprising 12 member parties, held its initial meeting at the residence of NCP chief Sharad Pawar in the national capital. Notably absent from the meeting was the Trinamool Congress, as its nominee, Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee, was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate for questioning related to alleged irregularities in government school appointments.

The bloc issued a statement saying, “The coordination committee has initiated the process of determining seat-sharing arrangements. Member parties will engage in talks and make decisions as soon as possible.”

India recently participated in its first elections, including seven bypolls across Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Kerala, Bengal, and Jharkhand. Controversy arose when it was revealed that the alliance’s member parties would be competing against each other in three of these contests, specifically in Kerala, Bengal, and Uttarakhand.