INDIA bloc struggles for consensus as Lok Sabha polls near, Congress spars with TMC, JD(U) over seat-sharing
INDIA bloc’s seat-sharing woes seem to mount with each passing day as the appointed committee by the Congress opens talks with its regional allies for the seats in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. While evident trouble was witnessed in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, now Bihar’s Janata Dal (United) has also joined the wagon.
After the Trinamool Congress, and the Shiv Sena (UBT), it is the Janata Dal United that has been firm in its demand for 16 seats in Bihar.
JD(U) says Nitish Kumar should be PM face
Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) leader Gopal Mandal reiterated his jab at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and said, “The next Prime Minister should be Nitish Kumar. He travelled across the country and created the INDIA alliance. No one is capable of becoming the PM other than Nitish Kumar”.
“Kharge?…I don’t even know his name. No one knows him, everyone knows who Nitish Kumar is… Even if we give 40 seats to Congress, will they be able to win? Congress will not be able to win a single seat in Bhagalpur…Congress maybe the biggest party in the country but not in Bihar,” Mandal was quoted by ANI as saying.
This is not the first time when Mandal has been dismissive of Kharge. Last year in December, he said no one knows Kharge and said the public will not accept him, referring to the Congress president as “Kharge-Farge“.
JD-U leader KC Tyagi on Monday said the JDU and RJD are in a position to counter the BJP in Bihar, had won 16 seats and will not compromise there.
The JDU leader also took a dig at Congress stating that the latter is only worried about the party.
“Congress is free to decide on the convener. They are worried about their own party, and we are worried about the alliance,” Tyagi said. ‘
Speaking on the Prime Ministerial face of the mega alliance, KC Tyagi said, “The Janata Dal-United is the organising body of the INDIA bloc. Nitish Kumar is the face behind the formation of the alliance, and this post is far bigger than that of the convener.”
The JDU currently holds 16 seats in Bihar; 17 are held by the BJP and the RJD does not have any Lok Sabha seat in the state.
TMC vs Congress in seat allocation for Bengal
Seat sharing has found itself on troubled roads when in West Bengal where Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mamata Banerjee and Congress leader Adhir Chowdhury sparred over the number of seats that would be given to Congress.
Reportedly CM Mamata Banerjee had said that two seats would be allocated to Congress, which the grand old party alleges is already the seats they have won in. CM Mamata Banerjee has been hinting on the ability to go solo for the Lok Sabha Elections in 2024 for West Bengal.
According to an NDTV report, Congress is now pushing to get 10 seats (which includes the two it won in 2019 polls). In the 2019 polls, the Trinamool won 22 seats, the Congress won two (Behrampore and Malda South), and the BJP secured 18.
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Published: 09 Jan 2024, 11:01 AM IST