: Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will not be attending the conclave of the I.
N.D.I.
A. coalition on Saturday in New Delhi and has deputed DMK treasurer T.R.
Baalu to represent him and convey the party’s stand to the leaders of the other parties of the national opposition alliance. Trinamul president and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has already said she will not be attending the meeting. Since Stalin expected to guide the coalition partners in arriving at the right decision in taking forward the unity of the 28 parties that form the coalition, his absence would be felt by some national leaders.
With the speculation of the I.N.D.
I.A. coalition possibly getting the necessary numbers to form government at the Centre gaining ground, most of the partners of the national alliance were keen on ironing out differences and staying together.
In the Saturday meeting that is scheduled to be held at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjuna Kharge, one of the key items in the agenda would be to finalise the Prime Ministerial candidate though there are many contenders. As some parties are averse to handing over the Prime Minister post to certain individuals or certain political parties, a sort of consensus was required to be arrived at ahead of the results to prevent last minute bickering. Even in the event of the ruling NDA winning the polls, the opposition would have to devise its own strategy to first stay united and then continue to remain a thorn in the flesh of the n.
