Seat-sharing talks with INDIA allies to begin 'without delay': Congress
The Congress announced on Thursday that the much-awaited seat-sharing discussions with the parties in the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc will begin soon without any delay. According to Congress leader Mukul Wasnik, convenor of the party's seat-sharing committee, the seat-sharing talks will occur on a state-by-state basis depending on the situation of the allies in a particular region.
Why does this story matter?
With the clock ticking for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections, some INDIA alliance partners were reportedly eager to finalize the seat-sharing arrangement. The seat-sharing agreement is seen as the most crucial aspect of the INDIA bloc, especially after several alliance leaders stressed the significance of creating a one-on-one battle with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 polls.
Seat-sharing top priority for 2024 polls: Wasnik
While labeling the seat-sharing talks a "top priority," Wasnik revealed that talks will be underway as soon as other political parties are ready. "It is important to discuss their basis of states because different parties have different situations in the states," he said. The urgency is heightened since the Congress faces enormous obstacles in forming an alliance in some states, particularly Punjab and West Bengal, where the party is against an alliance with the ruling parties.
National Alliance Committee meets top brass
After the meeting at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's residence, Wasnik announced the National Alliance Committee had detailed discussions on how seat-sharing should be with the different INDIA alliance parties. "We submitted the report of those discussions to Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and KC Venugopal," he told reporters on Thursday. "Now soon, we will have discussions with different parties of INDIA alliance...and after that, we will decide how to move forward further," Wasnik added.
You can watch Wasnik's comments here
Kharge attacks BJP, calls for unity among opposition for polls
Earlier in a meeting with state units, Kharge accused the BJP of raising emotive issues to hide its failed governance. The veteran leader also stressed the need for party workers to sink their differences and focus on fighting the saffron brigade. "The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) remains only in name while the INDIA bloc has major grassroots parties that have a strong cadre, base and ideology," he added.
