In a significant development ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, also known as the I.N.D.I.A. coalition, has hinted at a possible seat-sharing arrangement. According to sources, the Congress which is the main opposition party in the Lok Sabha, is poised to contest elections on 320 to 330 seats. Notably, the Congress can contest around 250 seats on its own, while in approximately 75 seats across nine states, the Congress is likely to contest with allied parties.

Sources have indicated that the Congress coalition committee may entrust the task of seat distribution to its party president, Mallikarjun Kharge. Having conducted discussions with state units, the National Coalition Committee of the Congress is set to submit its report to party president Kharge on Wednesday, January 3. Subsequently, the Congress leadership will engage in discussions with allied parties on the allocation of seats.

The states where the Congress is expected to share seats and union territories with allied parties include Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Jammu and Kashmir. However, prospects for a coalition between Congress and AAP in Punjab seem dim, as per sources.

I.N.D.I.A. Bloc — Potential Seat Distribution:

State Seats Coalition Parties
Andhra Pradesh 25 Congress 25
Arunachal Pradesh 2 Congress 2
Assam 14 Congress 14
Bihar 40
Congress 4, Left 2, RJD 17, JD(U) 17
Chhattisgarh 11 Congress 11
Goa 2
Congress 2 (AAP may ask for 1 seat)
Gujarat 26
Congress 26 (AAP may demand 5 seats)
Haryana 10
Congress 10 (AAP may demand 2-3 seats)
Himachal Pradesh 4 Congress 4
Jharkhand 14
Congress 7, JMM 4; RJD, JD(U), and Left 3
Karnataka 28 Congress 28
Kerala 20
Congress 16, Others 4
Madhya Pradesh 29 Congress 29
Maharashtra 48
Congress 18, Shiv Sena 15, NCP 15
Manipur 2 Congress 2
Meghalaya 2 Congress 2
Mizoram 1 Congress 1
Nagaland 1 Congress 1
Odisha 21 Congress 21
Punjab 13
Congress 13, AAP 13 (Agreement unlikely)
Rajasthan 25 Congress 25
Sikkim 1 Congress 1
Tamil Nadu 39
DMK 24, Congress 9, Left 4, Local 2
Telangana 17 Congress 17
Tripura 2
Congress 2 (Left may contest 1 seat)
Uttar Pradesh 80
Congress 8-10, SP 65, Local 5-7
Uttarakhand 5 Congress 5
West Bengal 42
Congress 2-4, TMC 38-40
Jammu and Kashmir 5
Congress 2, NC 2, PDP 1
Ladakh 1 Congress 1
Delhi 7
Congress 3, AAP 4
Chandigarh 1 Congress 1
Andaman and Nicobar 1 Congress 1
Dadra and Nagar Haveli 1 Congress 1
Daman and Diu 1 Congress 1
Lakshadweep 1 Congress 1
Puducherry 5
Congress 4, NCP 1

Notably, the I.N.D.I.A. coalition has already held four meetings including the discussions in Patna, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi. The alliance faces the formidable challenge of seat allocation and candidate selection. Sources suggest that the final agreement on seat-sharing may be sealed by the end of January.

Regional parties are keen on contesting as many seats as possible, setting the stage for negotiations. Congress, on the other hand, has formulated its own strategy, and the coming days will reveal whether a consensus can be reached. ALSO READ | I.N.D.I.A Seat-Sharing: Congress Alliance Likely In 9 States, Rift With AAP May Keep Talks At Bay In Punjab

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