I.N.D.I.A has lot of choices for prime ministerial face, says Uddhav Thackeray ahead of third alliance meet in Mumbai

As many as 63 representatives of 28 political parties will be attending the two-day Opposition alliance, I.N.D.I.A, meet in Mumbai, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar said on Wednesday.

The third meeting of the I.N.D.I.A will be held on 31 August and 1 September during which they are likely to announce a coordination committee and a logo for the alliance.

Addressing the media on Wednesday together with Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, Pawar said, “63 representatives of 28 political parties to attend I.N.D.I.A alliance meet in Mumbai.”

Pawar also exuded confidence that the Opposition alliance will provide a formidable alternative to bring about political change.

Talking about the alliance, Thackeray said, “Our ideologies may be different but objective is to protect democracy.”

VIDEO | "Our ideologies may be different, but our objective is same i.e. to save the country and its Constitution," says Shiv Sena (UBT) leader @uddhavthackeray at a press conference of INDIA alliance in Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/bXGPuBdIqv

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 30, 2023

Taking a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA alliance, he said the party has no other choice for Prime Minister apart from PM Modi.

“We (INDIA alliance) have a lot of choices for the prime ministerial face. However, the BJP now needs to make a choice (for the PM face) as people have seen what he (PM Modi) has done in the past 10 years,” the Shiv Sena leader said.

VIDEO | "We (INDIA alliance) have a lot of choices for the prime ministerial face. However, the BJP now needs to make a choice (for the PM face) as people have seen what he (PM Modi) has done in the past 10 years," says Shiv Sena (UBT) leader @uddhavthackeray at a press… pic.twitter.com/ig2m5IpMaM

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 30, 2023

Comparing the BJP’s rule to the British Raj, Thackeray said: “The British did development work too, but if we did not chase them away with full force, we would not have achieved freedom. We want development but we want freedom too.”

Further parsing I.N.D.I.A, Thackeray said: “Those (opposition parties) who consider the whole country as their family have joined hands to save ‘Bharat Mata’.”

Addressing the media, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole, “We’re very happy that INDIA alliance meeting is going to take place in Maharashtra…in Bengaluru, we were 26 (parties), here it has become 28 (parties)…jaise INDIA badhega, waise hi China peeche hatega.”

#WATCH | "We're very happy that INDIA alliance meeting is going to take place in Maharashtra...in Bengaluru, we were 26 (parties), here it has become 28 (parties)...jaise INDIA badhega, waise hi China peeche hatega", says Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole pic.twitter.com/U7xVHyH4CW

— ANI (@ANI) August 30, 2023

With inputs from agencies