New Delhi: Amid deepening cracks in the Opposition alliance and the gathering clouds of doubt over a seat-sharing deal for next year’s Lok Sabha polls, a few partners in the I.N.D.I.A bloc have hinted that they may go it alone in 2024, news agency ANI reported.
Asserting that their party is the “biggest” in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said there was “no conflict” with the members of MVA over seat-sharing but indicated that the party is expecting to contest most of the Lok Sabha seats next year.
“This is Maharashtra and Shiv Sena is the biggest party here. Congress is a national party. Uddhav Thackeray is having positive discussions with the decision-making leaders of Congress. We have always said that Shiv Sena has always been fighting on 23 seats in Lok Sabha elections, including Dadra and Nagar Haveli and that will be firm,” ANI quoted Raut as saying.
West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee had also said she wants to test the Bengal waters in the general elections alone.
Predicting a win for the Opposition bloc against the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), CM Banerjee said in Bengal, only TMC and no other party “can teach BJP a lesson”. Her remarks came close on the heels of BJP removing Anupam Hazra from the post of national secretary over “controversial” statements.
Meanwhile, the Congress said it will start formal discussions on seat-sharing with the alliance partners from January, ANI reported.
Speaking to the news agency, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, “Khule mann aur bandh muh se hi hum seat sharing pe baat age chalayenge (We will start discussions on seat-sharing with an open mind and will refrain from making any public statements).
Notably, the Opposition alliance has had four crucial meetings so far. However, the seat-sharing issue is yet to be addressed.
