NEW DELHI: Amid growing rumblings among INDIA bloc partners in various states over seat-sharing for the Lok Sabha polls, the Congress on Thursday said it will begin talks with its allies soon. The development came hours after the Congress and Trinamool got into an ugly spat over seats in West Bengal.
Earlier in the day, state Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury hit out at TMC chief Mamata Banerjee for offering just two of the state’s 42 seats to the grand old party. A furious Chowdhury said his party doesn’t need Banerjee’s alms and can win more seats on its own. In response, the TMC said ‘bad mouthing alliance partners and seat-sharing can’t go hand-in-hand.’
In Punjab also, the Congress and AAP leaders have been issuing statements against each other over the ED’s summoning of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. Later in the evening, the Congress’ National Alliance Committee (NAC), which was set up to facilitate seat-sharing agreements with INDIA partners, met party president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi, and submitted a detailed report outlining potential state-wise alliances.
Speaking to the media, NAC head Mukul Wasnik said state-level talks with allies will start soon. Other members of the panel include former Union minister Salman Khurshid, former CMs Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel, and senior leader Mohan Prakash.
“We have submitted our report to Congress leadership based on the feedback from state unions on the feasibility and prospects of forming alliances with various parties in different states. Now, discussions with INDIA bloc allies will begin without any delay. We are aware that it has to be done on a priority basis,” he said, adding: “Every state has different political dynamics. We have to take all those factors into account.”
Sources said the party is mulling alliances in nine states including Delhi, West Bengal, Bihar, Maharashtra, and UP.
New name for Rahul’s Yatra
The Congress on Thursday renamed Rahul Gandhi’s East to West yatra as Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, which will be flagged off from Manipur on January 14. Earlier, the yatra was called Bharat Nyay Yatra. The party will invite all members of INDIA bloc to join the yatra along its route