Everything ready for 2-day opposition alliance meeting: Sanjay Raut

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will arrive in Mumbai on Wednesday to participate in the meeting of the Opposition bloc- INDIA which is scheduled to meet for two days from Thursday to take forward their unity pitch for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, said Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut.

"For the last one month, we have been preparing for the INDIA alliance meet. Now, all preparations are completed. All leaders have started arriving in Mumbai. Mamta Banerjee is coming today," Raut said while addressing a press conference here.

"The preparations are done. Shiv Sena (UBT) is the host of the INDIA alliance meeting. Congress and the NCP (Sharad Pawar group) are with us. Our delegates from all over the country have started arriving in Mumbai" he said.

As the race for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls hots up, top Opposition leaders from at least 26 INDIA parties will meet in Mumbai for its third meeting and on the same day. As per the sources, the 26-party opposition alliance is likely to see an expansion with some more regional outfits joining it in Mumbai.

Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut also hit out at the state and central government, accusing them of 'selling and looting' Mumbai city.

"The central government wants to sell Mumbai and loot Mumbai. They have weakened Mumbai. If they have any pride in Marathi people they must resign," Raut said.

The MP also alleged that the Maharashtra government is not holding the BMC election due to fear of losing the polls.

"This means that you want to keep the Maharashtra government as your slave, you do not want to give power to the BMC and Maharashtra government. All this is happening intentionally; you are not conducting the election for fear of losing the election. It has been the old dream of all of you (BJP) to make Mumbai a union territory and weaken it, so the new thing has been put that NITI Aayog will develop Mumbai. You want to separate Mumbai, that's why a weak CM has been appointed. This Mumbai belongs to Marathi Manus and will remain so," the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said.

In their third meeting, the INDIA alliance members are scheduled to discuss the alliance strategies for the Lok Sabha election and the seat sharing in the states. A new logo of the INDIA alliance is also likely to be launched.