Key Opposition Leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sharad Pawar, and Arvind Kejriwal Convene at INDIA Alliance Meeting

New Delhi: In a significant development, leaders from the INDIA bloc, including Rahul Gandhi, Sharad Pawar, and Arvind Kejriwal, are currently engaged in discussions on seat-sharing strategies for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The primary agenda is to form a cohesive plan to challenge the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the electoral battle. This meeting gains added significance due to reports of a perceived discord between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress, particularly with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in attendance.

Highlighting the importance of the alliance, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh announced on Friday that the participation of alliance parties in the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, commencing on January 14 in Manipur, will be a key topic of discussion during the meeting. Since their collaboration last July, Congress and AAP have intermittently engaged in discussions about electoral strategies, often marked by passive-aggressive exchanges.

The challenge for Congress lies in securing AAP’s support to mount a formidable challenge against the BJP at the national level. However, Congress units in Delhi and Punjab have expressed reservations about aligning with AAP. The allocation of seats in crucial regions like Punjab and Delhi, where the AAP holds power, had raised concerns for the alliance.

Additionally, potential stumbling blocks in West Bengal, Gujarat, Goa, and Haryana are reportedly being discussed. Following a two-hour meeting at Congress leader Mukul Wasnik’s residence in Delhi on Friday, senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha expressed optimism about the alliance discussions. He emphasized that while details cannot be provided like a cricket match commentary, the talks were progressing well. Congress leader Salman Khurshid added that discussions were satisfactory and would continue until all aspects are decided.

Khurshid emphasized on the cooperative approach,saying “We are moving forward very well, and we are all satisfied”. “We are hopeful that we will arrive at a decision and place it before you after discussing it with our leaders.” When addressing concerns about Punjab, where some leaders from both parties oppose an alliance, Khurshid assured that decisions would be made collectively, considering the interests of the people and party workers.

After the initial seat-sharing meeting on Monday, both parties had conveyed their commitment to contest elections together. The Congress affirmed its decision to collaborate with the AAP, while the AAP stated its intent to contest polls in five states, namely Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Goa, and Delhi, in alliance with the Congress.

In the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the two parties previously engaged in seat-sharing talks, but no consensus was reached as both aspired to contest four of the seven seats in Delhi. The Congress is now actively engaging with other parties within the INDIA bloc across different states, working towards finalizing seat-sharing arrangements in preparation for the upcoming elections.”

by Yashasvi Raghav