NEW DELHI: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has been elected as the Chairperson of the Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance (India); the main opposition bloc fighting the BJP in the next Lok Sabha elections. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was considered for the post of convener but he refused. Nitish suggested someone from Congress take up the role.

Kharge was elected to the post of chairman in the online meeting of the opposition parties. However, no decision was made regarding the distribution of seats among parties in the front. Meanwhile, Trinamool leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was a surprising name to have missed today’s meeting.

The progress in the seat-sharing talks and the joint rallies to be held ahead of the Lok Sabha elections were mainly discussed. The INDIA bloc leaders participating in Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra were also discussed.

Trinamool sources said that Congress leaders informed them about the meeting only on Friday night which made Mamata Banerjee unable to cancel all meetings she agreed for Saturday. TMC requested the leaders to change the date but the request was curtly denied.

Meanwhile, there are rumours that Mamata stayed away because there was a possibility of choosing Nitish as the convener of the meeting. Nitish was angry that Mamata proposed a Dalit prime ministerial candidate at the Delhi meeting.