In Punjab, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has stated that the party has decided to go alone for the Lok Sabha polls. Now, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has also asserted Trinamool Congress’s (TMC) plans to go solo. In Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has demanded 23 seats, putting the discussions at a roadblock.
Let’s have a look at how the INDIA bloc allies in West Bengal, Maharashtra, and Punjab are apparently blocking the Congress seat-sharing plans.
TRINAMOOL WILL GO ALONE IN WEST BENGAL
Mamata Banerjee declared on Thursday that the TMC would fight alone in the state for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, while the INDIA bloc would be present nationally.
Kicking off the election campaign in the state, she said, “INDIA bloc will be there across the country. In Bengal, the TMC will fight and defeat the BJP. Remember, in Bengal, only TMC can teach a lesson to the BJP and not any other party.”
Her statements offered a clear image that there would be no coalition with the INDIA bloc or seat-sharing with the Congress or the Left Front in the state.
In West Bengal, Congress contested 2019 Lok Sabha alone, then majority of the congress leaders are voiced to seat sharing with the CPI(M) but congress central leadership decided to contests alone. Out of 42 seats congress only won 2 seats while TMC won 22 seats.
UDDHAV SENA DEMANDS 23 SEATS IN MAHARASHTRA
Maharashtra is a key state not only for the Congress but also for the whole INDIA bloc’s allies –Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Congress is planning multiple strategies to strengthen the party base. The party’s upcoming Bharat Nayay Yatra from Manipur is set to culminate in Mumbai on March 20. Also, on Thursday, the Congress celebrated its 139th foundation day in Nagpur, in a show of strength in the state.
Shiv Sena (UBT), however, claimed a prominent share of Lok Sabha seats. The party demanded 23 seats, but the Congress rejected the demand.
Terming the demand “excessive”, former Chief Minister and senior Maharashtra Congress leader Ashok Chavan said there was a need for adjustment among the parties.
“While every party desires a larger share of seats, the demand for 23 seats by the Shiv Sena was excessive given the current circumstances,” he said.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Congress and NCP fought together. Out of 48 seats, Congress won only 1 seat while NCP won 4 seats. Shiv Sena and BJP also fought the 2019 elections together. The BJP won 23 seats and Shiv Sena won 18.
AAP WILL GO SOLO IN PUNJAB
State leaders have publicly stated earlier that they want the party to contest alone in Punjab. The same sentiment was shared in the meeting of Congress’s central leadership with top party leaders from Punjab on December 26.
After the meeting of more than 30 members of the Congress Political Affairs Committee that discussed the seat-sharing prospects in detail, Partap Singh Bajwa, the leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP), said the central leadership assured them that their opinions had been heard and that the party’s interests would be safeguarded.
However, he did not provide specifics because it was a “closed-door meeting”.
On the other hand, on December 17, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal held a rally in Punjab’s Bathinda. Kejriwal had also appealed to people to vote for the ruling AAP in all 13 seats in the Lok Sabha elections in 2024, hinting at no scope for seat-sharing with its INDIA ally Congress.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, out of the 13 Lok Sabha seats, Congress won eight and AAP only managed to get one seat.
The Congress is also likely to face similar seat-sharing hurdles in other states like Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand.
Tune In
About Post Author
