With months left for the country to vote in the Lok Sabha polls, the opposition alliance INDIA on Saturday named Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as its Chairperson.

The decision was reportedly taken during a virtual conference.

Following the meeting, Kharge said the bloc's seat-sharing talks are progressing a in a positive way.

"Leaders of INDIA Coordination Commitee today met online and had a fruitful discussion on the alliance," he posted on X. "Everyone is happy that the seat sharing talks are progressing in a positive way," the Congress leader said.

The INDIA bloc also picked Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar as its convener, but he has “temporarily chosen to withdraw from the alliance’s convener race on the ground that he would only accept it if there is a consensus among allies,” sources told The Indian Express.

Sources told the newspaper that Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav skipped today’s meeting.

What is INDIA bloc?

INDIA or Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance is a group of opposition parties. It also includes the Congress.

The bloc was formed to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

After winning the 2014 and 2019 national polls, the BJP is eyeing to return to power for a third stright term.