INDIA Bloc Meeting: Seat-Sharing To Be Finalised Soon, Exercise To Begin At State-Level

The INDIA bloc on Tuesday decided that seat-sharing for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls would be finalised as soon as possible with the exercise beginning at the state level, and exuded confidence the coalition partners will together eventually deal with prickly issues in Punjab and Delhi.

While the TMC insisted during the fourth meeting of the INDIA parties here on Tuesday that the seat-sharing should be finalised by December 31, the Congress asserted it could be sealed by the second week of January after all issues are ironed out smoothly.

Sources said that Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray proposed during the meeting that state-level seat sharing be finalised by the month-end and final overall seat-sharing be completed by the second week of January.

According to sources, the TMC proposed at the meeting that the Congress can fight 300 seats and let Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav be captain in Uttar Pradesh, AAP's Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi and Punjab, and the TMC in West Bengal.

The sources also said that SP's Ram Gopal Yadav stressed at the meeting that the alliance should make up its mind on taking along either the SP or the BSP as the Akhilesh Yadav-led outfit cannot go with BSP.

Addressing a press conference after the over three-hour meeting at the Ashoka Hotel here, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said all partners of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) will work together on seat sharing.

"Our people in states will decide amongst themselves (on seat sharing) and if there is any issue in it (seat sharing) or it cannot take place then the INDIA coalition leaders will decide on it. In many places like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana or Bihar or the issue in UP, it will be resolved. How to resolve the problem of Delhi and Punjab, that will also eventually be decided," Kharge said.

His remarks come amid West Bengal, Kerala, Punjab and Delhi continuing to remain sticking points among the alliance partners, as none of the stakeholders is ready to give in.

Sources said many parties insisted on a deadline for finalising seat sharing with the TMC insisting that it be completed before December 31. After the meeting, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal told reporters that seat sharing would be finalised 'as soon as possible'.

Congress sources said the seat sharing would be finalised by second week of January.

During the meeting, the TMC stressed that it wants the INDIA bloc to win and therefore was insisting on prioritising seat sharing, noting that in 179 days, they had only came up with the name.