Time is of the essence. Or so, feels the Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance when it comes to pulling up its socks for the upcoming general elections.

Leaders of the INDIA Opposition bloc, sources revealed, have set for themselves a deadline of September 30 to finalise their state-wise seat-sharing arrangement so that the bloc can effectively take its campaign down to the voters in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls.

The top brass of the 28 Opposition parties also agreed on the need to draw up its common minimum programme and the final list of issues for campaign at the Mumbai edition of the bloc’s conclave without further delay.

A difference of opinion among the bloc constituents over the final look and feel of the INDIA logo, which was scheduled to be unveiled on the first of the two-day meet, led to its postponement till Day 2 of the conclave.

These were among the main decisions taken during hectic parleys at the informal sitting of the top brass of the 28 Opposition parties on Thursday evening at the Grand Hyatt, Mumbai ahead of the dinner hosted by Shiv Sena (UBT) faction chief and former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, it was reliably learnt from sources.

The alliance members are currently gathered for its two-day conclave in the nation’s financial capital to chart a concrete roadmap and finalize a structure for cooperation among partners to take on the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in the 2024 general elections. The deliberations on Thursday were understood to have focussed on fixing agendas for Friday’s formal meeting of the parties.

Extensive discussions were also held on Thursday on the suddenly announced special session of Parliament and over fervent media speculations on whether the government plans to introduce the one-nation-one-election Bill in that session, a source confirmed.

Constituent parties of the bloc were asked to get ready their list of candidates on a war footing so that those could be discussed at the earliest and finalized within the stipulated deadline, it was learnt from sources who participated in Thursday’s sitting.

The setting up of coordination, communication and campaign committees besides identifying the main issues to spearhead campaigns would be clinched on Friday, it was learnt. It is also speculated that more regional forces would be joining the alliance on the last day of the conclave.