Congress reveals seat demands for 2024 elections in coalition talks

Leaders of the Congress party met on January 4 to deliberate on the number of seats they aim to contest in key states, where potential disagreements with allies may arise for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Party insiders revealed to India Today TV that leaders from different states presented their seat aspirations, assessing the potential strength of the party while navigating negotiations within the INDIA bloc.

Sources within the party emphasized that a compromise formula could only be reached if Congress presented a robust demand for seats.

In Bihar, Congress leaders suggested the party could secure 10-12 seats out of the total 40 by collaborating with Left parties and jointly demanding 25 seats. The leaders expressed their willingness to form an alliance and adjust seat allocations based on the preferences of other potential allies like JD(U) and RJD.

In Jharkhand, party leaders asserted a claim for at least 12 out of the total 14 seats, setting a bottom limit of seven seats in any negotiations.

Meanwhile, Congress leaders from Uttar Pradesh laid out an ambitious demand for 40 seats but hoped to secure 20 through negotiations with the Samajwadi Party. Uttar Pradesh, a crucial state, holds a total of 80 Lok Sabha seats.

In West Bengal, Congress leaders proposed demanding six seats and expressed optimism about securing at least four from the Trinamool Congress (TMC). Earlier reports had indicated that the TMC had offered only two Lok Sabha seats to Congress.

Surprisingly, party leaders from Punjab echoed sentiments from their AAP allies, expressing a desire to go solo for the Lok Sabha elections. Notably, the Congress' National Alliance Committee is yet to submit its report for Punjab.

The committee, after meeting with party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi, conveyed feedback from state units on seat-sharing with other INDIA bloc parties for the Lok Sabha polls. The committee assured that state-wise talks with coalition partners would commence soon.

The opposition INDIA bloc, comprising various parties, had initially aimed to finalize seat-sharing arrangements by December 31, 2023. However, a delay was reported, prompting urgency among opposition parties to conclude negotiations as the clock ticks down for the Lok Sabha polls.