Talks With State Presidents First, Then High Command, Lastly With INDI Alliance Parties: Congress' Plan On Seat-Sharing

Following the recent organisational changes within the Congress and the establishment of a committee to address contentious issues with partners in the INDI Alliance ahead of next year's Lok Sabha elections, former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel stated on Saturday (23 December) that the party's high command will engage in discussions with leaders from other parties. They will investigate potential seat-sharing arrangements before proceeding with negotiations with the Bloc partners.

Baghel, a member of the Congress's National Alliance Committee, spoke following the inaugural meeting of the committee, which took place in the national capital on Saturday, Economic Times reported.

He attended the meeting with Ashok Gehlot, Mukul Wasnik, and Mohan Prakash, stating, "We plan to engage in discussions with the presidents of states where we can potentially reach an agreement on seat allocation with like-minded partners. These meetings will be reported to the high command before further discussions within the INDI Alliance commence."

Earlier this week, Congress established the National Advisory Committee (NAC), a five-member group. The committee is convened by Wasnik and includes veteran leaders such as former Rajasthan Chief Minister Gehlot, Baghel, ex-Union Minister Salman Khurshid, and Mohan Prakash as its members.

The committee is assigned to conduct debates about potential alliances with other political parties at the state level and arrangements for sharing seats for the Lok Sabha elections in the upcoming year.

The INDI Alliance partners convened for their fourth meeting in Delhi on Tuesday, however, the contentious issue of seat-sharing remained unresolved.

Following their defeat in the crucial states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan, it has become increasingly important for all INDI Alliance partners to agree on seat-sharing ahead of the upcoming general elections.