"Decision on seat sharing will be taken as per parties’ merit": Nana Patole ahead of INDIA bloc meeting tomorrow

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 30 (ANI): As the third meeting of the INDIA bloc is set to begin in Mumbai tomorrow, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Wednesday said that seat sharing in the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) will be done as per the merit of the parties in different states. 
Nana Patole said that a discussion on this will be held in upcoming meetings.  
Speaking to ANI, Nana Patole said, "Our main goal is to end this dictatorship. This decision (seat sharing) will be taken as per the merit of the parties in different states. This will be discussed in the upcoming meetings of INDIA."
Earlier today West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee arrived in Mumbai and said that "Khela Hoga" meaning the "game is on" as the opposition parties huddle up in Mumbai ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. 
Speaking to reporters after tying 'rakhi' to former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray at his residence on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, Mamata Banerjee said, "Hoga hoga, khela hoga."
On the number of seats, the TMC seeks to win the Lok Sabha elections, the TMC chief said, "Many".
Maharashtra BJP Chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Wednesday said that the leaders of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) will have enjoyment for two days in the state and then go back.
Speaking to ANI, Bawankule said, "I feel they (INDIA alliance) are organising the meeting keeping in mind that they are preparing for a huge war against PM Modi. We are going to the homes of people and the INDIA bloc is organising their meeting in a hotel. They will do the meeting, have enjoyment for two days and go back."
Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam said that all the parties who are in alliance with the BJP will come under the umbrella of the INDIA bloc. 
"When our first meeting was held in Patna, we were not aware of the details and what will be the name of the alliance. There were 16 parties there (in Patna), in the Bengaluru meeting. The number increased to 26 and now we have 28 parties. Slowly all the parties with BJP will come under this INDIA umbrella," he said. 
Meanwhile West Bengal BJP leader Rahul Sinha on Wednesday called the leaders of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc "lost souls" and said that this alliance does not have any vision for the country.   
"All these are lost souls. Whenever the election approaches, all these lost souls gather together to hold discussions in order to escape the investigation related to their corruption. This is an alliance that does not have any vision or goal," he said. 
He said people of the country would never accept the INDIA bloc. 
"The number of contenders for Prime Minister is equal to the number of parties in their coalition. People of the country will not accept such an alliance. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi becomes Prime Minister again, all these people will fall apart," he said. 
Congress leader Ashok Chavan on Wednesday said that leaders of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc have come together to save democracy in the country. 
Addressing a joint press conference in Mumbai, Ashok Chavan said, "It is our responsibility to save India. Earlier we were an alliance of 26 parties and now we are 28. Maharashtra has led from the front during the independence struggle. Today it will again play an important role. We are raising questions on unemployment, and inflation. It is not a personal fight but a fight to save the nation."
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said that all the lovers of the country have united under the INDIA bloc. 
"All lovers of the country are here. We are here to save Bharat mata. We are against authoritarian government and political gimmicks. The way INDIA bloc will move forward, the Centre will start giving gas cylinders for free. The Centre itself is running on gas. Our Constitution needs to be saved from the tyrant forces," he said.   
CPI leader D Raja also arrived in Mumbai and said that the BJP has to be removed to save the nation. 
"It will be a step forward because we've discussed enough on the issues. Now, I think the agenda will be to plan out our programs and reach out to the people. In the forthcoming elections, the BJP has to be removed from power. If at all we have to save the nation and its future, BJP has to be removed," he said. 
Union Minister Arjun Munda targeted the INDIA bloc and said that this alliance is putting their energy into thinking about how to destabilise the country. 
Meanwhile, the Aam Admi Party (AAP) on Wednesday clarified that Arvind Kejriwal is not in the race to become the Prime Minister. 
Delhi Minister Atishi on Wednesday said that Arvind Kejriwal is not a candidate for the Prime Minister's post. 
Reacting to the remarks made by AAP's National Spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar that Kejriwal can be an ideal Prime Minister for the nation, Atishi said, "This might be the personal opinion of the chief spokesperson. But Arvind Kejriwal is not at all a part of the PM race. AAP is a part of the INDIA alliance because India needs to be saved today."
"The country, its constitution and its democracy need to be saved. I officially say that Arvind Kejriwal is not a candidate for the PM post," she added.  
The opposition parties have come together to take on the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which is led by PM Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and prevent it from winning a third straight term at the Centre in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The first meeting of the joint opposition convened in Patna on June 23 and the second meeting was held in Bengaluru on July 17-18. The third meeting is slated to be held in Mumbai on August 31-September 1. (ANI)