New Delhi: Even as differences cropped up among the INDIA bloc partners over the seat-sharing issue, the grand alliance has determined to give a straight fight to the BJP in at least 400 Lok Sabha seats in the ensuing elections. “We will fight in at least 400 seats together against BJP in the forthcoming elections,” said Hannan Mollah, former MP and Central Committee member of CPI (M) speaking to ETV Bharat on Friday.
The CPM is one of the alliance partners of the INDIA bloc and the party has vowed to dethrone the BJP in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.“INDIA bloc’s main intention is to defeat the BJP. For this, we have to come to a seat-sharing understanding and I believe all the partners in the opposition alliance will give due importance to each other on all fronts whether it is seat sharing or joint election campaign,” said Mollah.
During its last meeting that took place in New Delhi last month, the INDIA bloc decided to start a joint campaign besides coming out with an early seat-sharing adjustment. However, the seat-sharing issue has already brought both Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Congress in West Bengal against each other.
The Congress has vehemently criticised Mamata Banerjee-led TMC after the latter had an internal meeting deciding to give two seats to the Congress. A strong constituent of the INDIA bloc was earlier believed to have decided to give Baharampur and Maldaha Dakshin to Congress. As the Congress opposed such an offer from the TMC, the ruling party of West Bengal while giving more time to Congress for seat sharing issue, suggested a formula saying that the vote share of the last parliamentary elections or the vote share of the last assembly polls or both can be taken into account for finalising the strongest party on a seat and the decision should be left to the strongest party in the state.
“The seat-sharing issue will be resolved appropriately,” said Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera. During the last meeting of the INDIA bloc, all the parties unanimously decided that if the State unit of a party is not able to resolve the seat-sharing formula, the central leadership of the party will take the final call after proper consultation.
“Being the big party in the opposition platform, Congress needs to take the call at the earliest. They (Congress) should chalk out the opposition strategy by giving due importance to all other parties,” said KC Tyagi, JD (U) spokesperson to this correspondent. It is worth mentioning that the last INDIA bloc meeting in the national capital has admitted that differences in the seat-sharing issue in the recently held assembly elections especially in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh went against the alliance partner.
“There may be some differences over seat sharing issues among the INDIA alliance partners. We will resolve this issue ahead of the Lok Sabha elections,” said CPI general secretary D Raja. Following their meeting with the party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress’ Assam in-charge Jitendra Singh, the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) leadership said that all the opposition parties in Assam will fight together against BJP in the state. Significantly, as many as 16 parties in Assam have come together to give a tough fight to the BJP in the state. Badruddin Ajmal’s All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) is, however, not included in the opposition platform.
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