LS polls: Congress's Mukul Wasnik says INDIA partners 'together', adds talks in some states in 'final stages'

With a lack of consensus over the allotment of seats across states baring chinks in the Opposition armour, senior Congress leader Mukul Wasnik on Friday asserted that all partners in the INDIA bloc were together and will fight the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 'together'.

With a lack of consensus over the allotment of seats across states baring chinks in the Opposition armour, senior Congress leader Mukul Wasnik on Friday asserted that all partners in the INDIA bloc were together and will fight the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 'together'. While the Congress reached a broad seat-sharing agreement with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Gujarat, Goa, Haryana and the Union Territories (UTs) of Delhi and Chandigarh, as well as the Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh, talks are still underway with other partners for similar deals elsewhere.

Speaking to ANI on Friday, the senior Congress leader said there has been progress in seat-sharing talks with allies that are happening in a 'respectful manner', unlike the 'differences' between the BJP and its ruling partners in Maharashtra. "While we have already announced seat-sharing deals with our partners in some states, discussions on similar arrangements in other states are in their final stages. We will contest some seats in other states, setting aside the rest for our allies. However, we will contest the upcoming elections together," Wasnik told ANI on Friday.

On a seat-sharing deal with the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal, which has been under a cloud of uncertainty after Mamata Banerjee said her party has the strength to go it alone in all 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the Congress leader claimed that talks were still ongoing. "The talks are still underway. The situation (around seat talks in Bengal) isn't like what it is between the BJP and its ruling partners Shiv Sena of CM Eknath Shinde and the NCP of deputy CM Ajit Pawar in Maharashtra. We still holding discussions in a respectful manner and will hopefully arrive at a seat-sharing arrangement soon," he added.

Wasnik informed further that discussions with the National Conference (NC) and People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Jammu and Kashmir were also underway and announcements on seat allotments could be made soon. Earlier this week, Congress general secretary in charge of Communications, Jairam Ramesh, said the party has finalised seat-sharing deals with INDIA partners in all states barring West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir.

Taking a further swipe at the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance at the Centre, the Congress leader said sensing danger after the coming of the INDIA bloc, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made attempts to 'revive' a 'dead' alliance, referring to the return of some estranged partners to the NDA. On whether INDIA stands vis-a-vis the NDA as the Lok Sabha polls draw near, the Congress leader said, "INDIA alliance, as we all know, was founded in Patna on June 23, last year. Our second meeting was hosted in Bengaluru over two days, on July 17 and 18. The third meeting of the alliance was held in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1 and the fourth in Delhi on December 19 last year. It was after the INDIA bloc took shape that the Prime Minister started making efforts to infuse new life into the dead National Democratic Alliance (NDA). All the talk around the resurgence of the NDA started after INDIA came to the fore. If you take out the two 'I's -- Imandari (honesty) and Insaniyat (humanity)--from INDIA, you are left with NDA."

"There were a total of 28 parties in INDIA when it was founded. Now, 26 parties are with us and one or two more in Maharashtra might join us. We are strong and united and are in the process of finalising a seat-sharing formula in Jammu and Kashmir. There's been some delay (with respect to seat talks) in West Bengal but the Congress has reached a broad understanding with all the other partners. The only states where a seat-sharing arrangement is still a work in progress are West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir," Wasnik added. The Lok Sabha elections are likely to be held sometime between April and May this year. (ANI)

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