'Is BJP Held Hostage By Parties It Wanted To Gobble Up': Congress Mocks NDA Over Seat-Sharing

Upon the conclusion of seat-sharing agreements of the INDIA bloc in UP, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, and Chandigarh, Congress leader K C Venugopal jibed at the BJP over alliance in Bihar and Maharashtra.

File photo of Congress General Secretary K C Venugopal

Source : PTI

Empowered by securing seat-sharing agreements with the AAP and the Samajwadi Party, the Congress on Saturday took a dig at the BJP, which has yet to formalise similar arrangements with its coalition partners, questioning whether the ruling party has become "hostage" to the very parties it aimed to ally.

Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal highlighted that over the past week, the I.N.D.I.A. bloc has successfully concluded significant seat-sharing agreements in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, and Chandigarh. "In the coming few days, all our other discussions will also reach a positive conclusion," he shared in a statement on X.

Furthermore, In the same post, Venugopal stated, "Meanwhile, what is happening in the NDA? Are all the ill-conceived, corrupt, and opportunistic M&A deals giving BJP sleepless nights? Why no seat-sharing yet in Bihar? What about Maharashtra, where they have taken a sledgehammer on democracy?" "Is the party which claims to win 400+ seats being held hostage by those parties it wanted to gobble up?" he questioned.

In the last week, the INDIA alliance has sealed important seat sharing in UP, MP, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana and Chandigarh. In the coming few days, all our other discussions will also reach a positive conclusion.

Meanwhile - what is happening in the NDA? Are all the…

— K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) February 24, 2024

The Congress has declared a seat-sharing agreement with the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh and with AAP in Delhi, Gujarat, and Haryana. Negotiations are also progressing swiftly for seat-sharing arrangements in Bihar and Maharashtra.

The AAP is slated to contest four Lok Sabha seats in Delhi while the Congress will contest three, as announced by the I.N.D.I.A. bloc constituents on Saturday, unveiling their seat-sharing arrangements for the national capital, Gujarat, Goa, and Haryana. Additionally, the two parties have agreed to contest the Lok Sabha polls independently in Punjab.

Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party and the Congress have forged an alliance for the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, with the primary opposition party in Uttar Pradesh earmarking 17 out of the state's 80 seats for its ally.