Differences in seat sharing led to poll debacle in three states, admits INDIA bloc

Leaders of the INDIA Bloc discussed about December 22 programme of the Ayodhya temple inauguration. They think that the BJP will try to influence non-BJP voters on religious sentiments, reports ETV Bharat's Gautam Debroy.

New Delhi: Admitting that differences in seat sharing were one of the major reasons for the defeat of the INDIA bloc in the just concluded Assembly elections, the fourth crucial meeting of the alliance partners in New Delhi decided to sort out the issue at the State level before it goes to the Central level.

"We have elaborately discussed the seat-sharing issue in today's meeting. All the members have admitted that differences in seat sharing were one of the major reasons for our defeat," said Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MP in the Rajya Sabha Mohua Majhi while speaking to ETV Bharat. Majhi was representing the JMM at the INDIA bloc meeting that took place at Delhi's Ashoka Hotel.

All the parties have decided to resolve the seat-sharing issue at the earliest, she said. "We hope not facing similar problems in the Lok Sabha election," she said. Majhi said that the State leaders will try to resolve the seat-sharing issue first before it is brought to the Central leadership. Notably, Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP) had an open fight over the seat adjustment issue in Madhya Pradesh.

The Congress on Tuesday formed a five-member National Alliance Committee to initiate the seat-sharing talks, including members like Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Baghel and Mukul Wasnik among others. States like Telangana, Rajasthan the opposition alliances faced a similar tough situation.

Significantly, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee has said that she is ready to fight the Lok Sabha elections in her State, along with Congress and Left Front. "In today's meeting, all the leaders gave their opinions. We are confident that we will be able to give a tough fight to the BJP," Majhi said.

Sources in the INDIA bloc told this correspondent that the meeting also discussed about December 22 programme of the Ayodhya temple inauguration. "We are anticipating that the (BJP) leaders would try to influence non-BJP voters on religious sentiments. We are thinking of launching actions to tackle such threats," the leader said.

Apart from the presence of several top leaders and senior members of the BJP, the December 22 inauguration of Ayodhya temple will also see the participation of more than 8,000 people from different sections of society.