New Delhi: In the wake of the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections in 2024, the Congress party is shifting its focus towards winnability rather than aiming for an increase in the number of seats. The party is strategically concentrating on securing seats that it has a higher chance of winning, according to sources. They further stated that extensive discussions have taken place with party leaders at the state level, and a comprehensive dialogue with the National Alliance Committee has led to a predetermined number of seats. Congress leaders are now tasked with negotiating these seats with their alliance partners in the I.N.D.I.A bloc.
Here are the states and number of seats likely to be negotiated by Congress:
- Uttar Pradesh: 10+ seats including Amethi, Rai Bareli, Shahjahanpur, Maharajganj, Farrukhabad, Kushinagar and Varanasi.
- Bihar: 9+ seats including Sasaram, Katihar, Kishanganj, Aurangabad, Motihari and Darbhanga.
- Jharkhand: 9+ seats including Hazaribagh, Ranchi, Dhanbad, Khunti, Jamshedpur, Chatra and Palamu.
- West Bengal: 6 seats including Jangipur and Baharampur.
- Punjab: All its seating MP seats. The party won 8 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
- Maharashtra: 20+ seats.
- Delhi: 3+ seats.
Congress forms 5-member National Alliance Committee
Sources claimed that the National Alliance Committee is set to present its report to the Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge first, and upon receiving approval, the party will engage in discussions with its alliance partners. Meanwhile, the Congress party is likely to hold a meeting with its alliance partners of the I.N.D.I.A bloc in the first week of January and discuss about seat-sharing in the wake of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Earlier on December 19, Congress constituted a 5-member National Alliance Committee. Mukul Wasnik to be the Convener of the Committee that will have senior leaders Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Baghel, Salman Khurshid and Mohan Prakash as the members. "In the run-up to the general election 2024, the Congress president has constituted a National Alliance Committee with immediate effect," the party said in a statement. According to sources, the panel will look into all aspects of forming alliances with other parties.
I.N.D.I.A bloc's 4th meeting
The fourth meeting of the Opposition bloc took place in the national capital on December 19. It was attended by leaders from 28 parties. Congress leader KC Venugopal told reporters that the seat-sharing talks should start without delay and there is a proposal for "joint rallies" also.
The alliance, led by the Congress, took shape with the primary objective of mounting a combined challenge to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the upcoming general elections. The first meeting of the joint opposition convened in Patna on June 23 and the second meeting was held in Bengaluru on July 17-18. The third meeting happened in Mumbai on August 31-September 1.
