Congress To Begin I.N.D.I.A Seat-Sharing Talks 'Soon', Avoids Comments On Deadline, AAP Dilemma
The Congress party said that seat-sharing talks with the I.N.D.I.A bloc partners would begin soon as it initiated discussions on Lok Sabha poll strategy and manifesto.
The Congress party on Friday said that seat-sharing talks with various parties under the I.N.D.I.A bloc will begin soon. The statement came after a meeting of the National Alliance Committee at the residence of Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge. Party MP Mukul Wasnik, the convener of the National Alliance Committee, revealed the outcomes of the talks and the grand old party's strategy moving forward.
"A few days ago, the National Alliance Committee was formed by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge...this committee had a discussion with leaders of various states regarding the alliance," said Mukul Wasnik. He further added, "Today we submitted the report of those discussions to Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and KC Venugopal. Now soon, we will have discussions with different parties of the INDIA alliance... and after that, we will decide how to move forward further."
Wasnik emphasised the importance of state-wise discussions saying, "We know that we have to hold discussions eagerly as and when other parties are available for discussions, the talks will begin. There will be a state-wise discussion because of unique situation of parties in each state".
Regarding the demand for maximum seat allocation for the Congress, he stated, "We did not fix any count for seats. Our main aim is to ensure that the I.N.D.I.A. coalition attains a majority and forms the next Union government."
Notably, Wasnik refrained from disclosing details about the seat-sharing talks with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi. "I am not in a position to reveal how we are going to deal with each of the political parties in the alliance. We are going to seek their convenience for discussions seat by seat," he added.
When questioned about a deadline for the seat-sharing talks, Wasnik replied, "We are prioritising seat-sharing, but it is not possible to share a specific date."
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Lok Sabha Election: Congress Discussions On Manifesto, Seat-Sharing
The Congress, gearing up for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, initiated discussions on the party's strategy, manifesto, and seat-sharing. News agency PTI cited sources as indicating that the party aims to concentrate on around half the Lok Sabha seats where victory is plausible while eyeing more than half of the total seats.
The party's screening committees for all states are expected to be announced this week and the candidate selection process will immediately follow, PTI reported sources as informing in its report.
In addition to seat-sharing talks, the Congress also commenced discussions on the party's manifesto. The party's manifesto committee met for the first time, deliberating on key issues to be included in the party's positive agenda.
“Nothing has been decided today. This was an exchange of preliminary thoughts and ideas and how we proceed with the drafting of the manifesto,” MP P. Chidambaram told PTI.
Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge addressed party leaders, urging unity and discouraging public discussions on sensitive issues, the report stated. Kharge praised Sonia Gandhi's 25 years of service as Congress president and commended Rahul Gandhi's upcoming Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.
The Congress is set to embark on the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from January 14, covering 6,713 km in 66 days. Party leader Jairam Ramesh expressed confidence that the yatra would be as transformative as its predecessor. The route includes politically vital areas in Uttar Pradesh, such as Amethi, Rae Bareli, Varanasi, and Prayagraj.
This marks the first meeting of the newly appointed party office bearers after Kharge's reshuffle in December.
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