'Not an alliance for 2024 Lok Sabha elections': Kejriwal on reports of forming third front

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said the G-8 platform, on which he had invited chief ministers of non-BJP states, will be a governance platform and not a platform for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

A letter of Kejriwal inviting the chief ministers of seven states ruled by non-BJP parties other than the Congress for a dinner on March 18 had gone viral, triggering speculation about the formation of an alliance for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The planned dinner of the eight leaders, including Kejriwal, which he described as the "Progressive Chief Ministers'' Group of India or G-8", was supposed to be followed by a press conference the next day, according to the letter written by the AAP supremo.

During a post Delhi Budget press conference, Kejriwal was asked about it and he said: "It is a governance platform and not for alliance for 2024 Lok Sabha polls. It is not a political platform. Eight of us will visit a state out of the eight to see the good work being done by them and to learn from each other." "There have been several rounds of discussion between officers and among us. I am violating the protocols by sharing details. There are plans to hold a joint press conference to announce the platform. It is a work in progress," he said.

The chief ministers were busy with the assembly sessions in their states and "it should be announced after mid-April", Kejriwal said.

The letter was sent to chief ministers of West Bengal, Bihar, Telangana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand and Punjab.

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