According to sources speaking to India Today on Thursday, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has expressed a willingness to resume discussions with the Congress regarding seat-sharing arrangements for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Specifically, the TMC is open to negotiating seat allocations with the Congress in West Bengal, Meghalaya, and Assam, as per the sources.
This shift in stance by the TMC comes shortly after a statement made by TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, declaring that her party would contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections independently in the state.
The TMC's reconsideration coincides with reports from India Today TV suggesting that the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have reached an agreement regarding the allocation of Lok Sabha seats in Delhi. It is anticipated that the Congress will be allocated three out of the seven seats, while the AAP is likely to contest the remaining four.
Additionally, the Samajwadi Party (SP) led by Akhilesh Yadav and the Congress have devised a strategy for sharing seats in Uttar Pradesh. As per the arrangement, the Congress will vie for 17 Lok Sabha seats, while the Samajwadi Party and other coalition partners within the INDIA bloc will contest the remaining 63 seats.
Meanwhile, the TMC's offer to engage in seat-sharing discussions with the Congress remains unchanged for West Bengal, Meghalaya, and Assam, as per the sources. In West Bengal, where the TMC holds power, the party is considering offering two seats to the Congress out of the total 42 available seats.
The previous discord between the Congress and the TMC arose after reports surfaced that the ruling party in Bengal had rebuffed the 'grand old party's' request for approximately eight to ten seats.
For Meghalaya and Assam, the TMC is contemplating offering one seat each to Congress. Assam has a total of 14 Lok Sabha seats, while Meghalaya has two.
A point of contention between the two parties within the INDIA bloc is the Tura Lok Sabha seat in Meghalaya. The Congress is reluctant to relinquish the seat to the TMC, citing that its party members secured 28 percent of the votes in 2019, compared to the Congress's nine percent.
Another area of tension between the Congress and TMC stems from Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's criticism of Mamata Banerjee. The Congress leader has frequently lambasted the TMC chief, branding her an "opportunist" on one occasion and a "Dalal" on another.
Sources conveyed to India Today that the TMC is apprehensive about Chowdhury's remarks, as they believe that no leader from their party has launched similar attacks on Congress leaders such as Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, or Rahul Gandhi.
