INDIA Mein Bawaal! No More Allies in Upcoming Lok Sabha Polls

NewsBharati 30-Jan-2024 11:58:49 AM

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With the latest political stunt by JDU's Nitish Kumar in Bihar, Congress was left red-faced as it was a major setback to the so-called INDIA alliance that was formed to win against the Modi-led NDA government. However, the cracks in the INDIA bloc started long back ago and will affect the Congress in the upcoming Lok Sabha 2024 Elections. So, it seems like Congress will have a hard time sharing seats in the states with their regional political parties willingly ready to go solo in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Here's what the Congress allies have said recently about the seat sharing-

TMC - Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on January 24 declared that the TMC would not form an alliance with the Congress for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. This had come a day ahead of Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra's scheduled entry into the state.

"I had no discussions with the Congress party. I have always said that in Bengal, we will fight alone. I am not concerned about what will be done in the country but we are a secular party and in Bengal, we alone will defeat the BJP. They did not even bother to inform me that they would be coming to West Bengal as a matter of courtesy even though I am a part of the INDIA bloc. So there is no relation with me as far as Bengal is concerned," Mamata Banerjee said.

Reportedly, TMC was willing to offer seats to Congress but a war of words by Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury against Mamata Banerjee and similar instances like this have worsened the relations.

AAP - Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also said that his party will go solo in the state for Lok Sabha polls.

“Aam Aadmi Party has already shortlisted about 40 candidates for the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab. Additionally, the party is actively engaged in conducting a comprehensive survey to identify potential candidates for all 13 Lok Sabha seats," Bhagwant Mann had said.

The AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal had also reportedly approved Punjab's unit proposal for the party to contest the upcoming general elections independently.

CPI - In December 2023, the CPI(M) and CPI had asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi not to contest from Kerala in the Lok Sabha elections.

“Instead of contesting from Kerala where the main political opponent of the Congress is the Left Front comprising the two communist parties, Rahul should contest in states like Karnataka where the BJP is the main opponent," CPM and CPI leaders said.

So, reports suggest that with the Congress in a weak position following the setback in the assembly elections, the party would be now forced to consider the opinion of the two Left parties seriously in the state.

JDU - As already mentioned, the Nitish Kumar-led party left the INDIA alliance as the supremo claimed that no one was doing anything for the welfare of the country.

“We work for the development and progress of Bihar. We will keep doing the same, nothing else. Tejashwi was not doing anything. Now I am back where I was before (in NDA) and now there is no question of going anywhere," he said.

Nitish Kumar's exit from the INDIA alliance has been a major damage to the bloc ahead of Lok Sabha polls.

This list of political shifts in the alliance might increase with a few months left for Lok Sabha elections that will take place in April-May. On the other hand, the BJP is seen as having the upper hand in the elections with several promises being fulfilled including the inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.