Chinks in INDIA bloc as TMC, AAP rule out seat sharing in Bengal and Punjab

On Wednesday, two vital constituents of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), ruled out any seat-sharing with the Congress for the 2024 Lok Sabha (LS) polls in the two states they rule, West Bengal and Punjab, respectively.

The development had the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) pointing to the fragility of the 28-party Opposition alliance and evidence of the Congress’ unwillingness to respect its regional allies.

The Congress termed TMC’s exit from the discussions on seat-sharing a “speed breaker” in a long journey, asserting that talks in other states were on course and underlined that the TMC shared its commitment to fight the BJP.

However, there were concerns about the viability of the alliance with regional parties becoming more assertive, even suggesting to the Congress, as the TMC did, that it should contest at most 300 of the 543 seats, leaving aside the rest for the regional parties. It said the regional parties could contest seats they thought were winnable if the Congress didn’t discuss their demands.

The constituents of the INDIA bloc were expected to contest against each other in Kerala, but two more states, Bengal and Punjab, have now been added to the list.

Seat-sharing talks have progressed smoothly in Bihar. Discussions are at a critical juncture between the constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra and the Congress and Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh.

In Kolkata on Wednesday, West Bengal Chief Minister (CM) Mamata Banerjee, who heads the state’s ruling TMC, rejected any seat adjustment with the Congress on the 42 LS seats in her state. A little later, in Chandigarh, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann said the AAP would contest all 13 seats in the state, ruling out any seat-sharing adjustment with the Congress in the state. Punjab’s Congress unit had also opposed any truck with the AAP in the state.

In the recent past, Mamata and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal have made their respective political moves in tandem, including when at an INDIA bloc meeting in the national capital on December 19, the Delhi CM seconded Mamata’s proposal that the alliance declare Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge as its prime ministerial face.

Mamata announced her party’s decision on the eve of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra entry into Bengal, and a day after, the Congress leader insisted that he had cordial relations with the feisty Bengal leader. The Bengal CM also claimed that the Congress lacked the courtesy of sharing its plans for the yatra in Bengal, while the Congress insisted that the party extended an invite to her on January 13.

According to sources, the final straw for Mamata was the Congress’ Bengal leadership inviting the Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI(M), to join the yatra in Bengal. The Congress and Left parties contested the 2021 Bengal Assembly polls in alliance.

Congress’ Bengal leaders such as Deepa Dasmunsi accused Mamata of trying to help the BJP. The TMC was unwilling to give more than two seats to the Congress, the party’s sitting seats against its demand of eight to 14 seats, which the TMC suspected it would hand over to the CPI(M). In 2019, the TMC won 22, BJP 18, and Congress two in Bengal.

As for the AAP, sources said the two parties will likely agree on a seat adjustment formula for Delhi’s seven seats. The Congress is unwilling to accede to AAP’s desire to contest seats as part of its alliance with the Congress in Haryana and Gujarat. However, the AAP has already announced its candidate for the Bharuch seat in Gujarat.

Sources said an AAP-Congress alliance, that is, between the no. 1 and 2 parties, respectively, to fight the no. 3 and 4 parties, the Akalis and BJP, was illogical. Neither did the Congress want to be seen as fighting with AAP, which, it believes, is facing colossal anti-incumbency.