The doomsayers had predicted the seat sharing between the partners of the I.N.D.I. A coalition would fail, but they had progressed slowly. The alliance was gradually shaping in some states like Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra. The coalition is striving hard to put up a joint candidate against the B.J.P. in the 2024 polls.
Last year, opposition parties, facing ideological differences and personality clashes, came together to defeat the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the INDIA bloc took shape.
The new front, I.N.D.I.A led by the Indian National Congress includes more than two dozen influential regional parties that are direct rivals to each other in some states. Sealing the seat-sharing is only the first step in what promises to be a hectic two months for the campaign. Beyond arithmetic, there is a need for Chemistry to transfer votes and attract new voters. Their top leadership and state units must sync on issues and campaign strategy.
While the Congress had initially been adamant about picking seats based on the 2009 formula, the final list was more random in Uttar Pradesh. By coming together, the Samajwadi Party .and the Congress have already cemented the 20% Muslim vote, which is decisive in several seats. There is lot of interest who will be contesting from two family seats of Gandhi family Amethi and Rai Bareli.
The Aam Aadmi Party (A.A.P.) and the Congress will contest the Lok Sabha Election 2024 in alliance in five states/Union Territory — Delhi, Haryana, Gujarat, Chandigarh and Goa. The Congress will contest in 24 seats in Gujarat, while the A.A.P. will contest in two.
In Haryana, Congress will fight in 9 seats and A.A.P. in one. In Goa, the Congress will contest both the seats. While the A.A.P. will go solo in Punjab, Congress will fight Chandigarh seat as a part of Congress-AAP alliance.
The Congress and the Samajwadi Party finally agreed on seat-sharing for the 80 Lok Sabha in Uttar Pradesh. The Congress will contest 17 seats in UP, while the remaining 63 are in the S.P.’s kitty.
In Madhya Pradesh, the SP will fight in one sear while the Congress will battle in the remaining 28 seats. In West Bengal, Trinamool Congress offered two seats to Congress but Congress wants more seats, minimum five. Mamata Banerjee has said that TMC will fight all the 42 seats. It is to be seen whether there is any last minute alliance between the Congress and TMC.
In Maharashtra, the Congress party is set to receive 18 to 20 seats, while the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena will also get 18 to 20 seats, the NCP led by Sharad Pawar will contest for eight seats. Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi is also expected to receive two to three seats. Maharashtrahasatotalof48seats.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (B.J.P.) has gained influence in the northern regions of India, while the southern states are still largely under the control of regional parties. Although the Congress and the two left parties have strong alliances with the DMK in Tamil Nadu, the B.J.P. has no significant presence in the southern states, except in Karnataka.
In the 2019 election, D.M.K. alliance partners C.P.M., C.P.I., and V.C.K. contested two L.S. seats each, while M.D.M.K., K.M.D.K., IUML and I.J.K. contested from one seat each. Last week, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (D.M.K.) finalized the seat-sharing arrangement for the 2024 elections in Tamil Nadu. The party gave one seat to its alliance partner, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). The Namakkal parliamentary constituency has been allotted to its alliance partner, Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi (K.M.D.K.).
DMK is expected to finalize soon the seat-sharing arrangement with other allies, including the Congress, V.C.K., and Left parties. Meanwhile, the D.M.K. coalition is solid and intact. It won 38 of the 39 seats in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
In 2019, Congress contested nine of the total 39 seats in Tamil Nadu and won eight, losing the Theni Lok Sabha seat to A.I.A.D.M.K. Meanwhile, the D.M.K. leadership insists that Congress contest only seven seats, which the Congress leadership has yet to agree on. D.M.K. feels Congress has no strength at the grass root level to contest nine seats.
The D.M.K. will likely complete its seat-sharing formalities with the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (V.C.K.) and Left parties — C.P.I. and CPI-M early this week. The A.I.A.D.M.K. has severed its alliance with B.J.P. and will likely form a coalition. The B.J.P., too, is looking for a partnership with the smaller parties.
The B.J.P. has been making all-out efforts to win at least five seats from Tamil Nadu . The top B.J.P. leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and other Central Ministers, had often visited the state to woo the Tamil Nadu voters. However, the state is not attracted by Hindutva ideology.
Karnataka offers little hope of winning more seats for BJP after the defeat in the recent Assembly polls. Congress has a strong presence in Telangana, and in Andhra Pradesh, the ruling Y.S.R.C.P. will return. B.J.P. is unlikely to get more seats from the South, which has 130 seats. The regional allies and Congress must hold what they have and get more from the North. (IPA Service)
