53 days on, INDIA yet to decide on seat-sharing

Seat-sharing talks between INDIA bloc partners are yet to take off in a large number of states, 53 days after the Mumbai meeting of the alliance passed a resolution that said “seat-sharing arrangements in different states will be initiated immediately and concluded at the earliest in a collaborative spirit of give-and-take”.

- Saubhadra Chatterji

At least two Opposition parties have put the onus on the Congress—the largest Opposition outfit—for the delay in discussion on seats. “The Congress is waiting for the results of the upcoming elections. They are expecting their tally to go up and then the Congress can have a better bargaining power vis-à-vis other constituents,” said a leader.

A senior Congress leader on Monday afternoon admitted that the seat talks didn’t start. “The Mumbai resolution said that talks would start immediately. It didn’t give a deadline,” the leader argued, “so, it can start after the polls”.

The leader, part of the sub-committees set up at the Mumbai meeting, added, “If we win 3 or 4 of the 5 states, we will have better elbow room to negotiate seats with our allies. But if we get one or two states, it will spell trouble for us in the seat negotiations.” The Congress, however, is hopeful to increase its tally. Of the five states going to the polls, the Congress rules Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.