by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Fly on the wall

No Temple Darshan for Ayodhya BJP MP

The Opposition parties may criticize Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for making Ram Temple's Pran Pratishtha event to promote the BJP. But the historic event on January 22 negates this premise. Rather, it gives a clue to how Modi's mind works and how meticulously he goes into every detail before undertaking a visit to such functions. It is unimaginable that Modi ensured that no Minister of his Union Council of Ministers including seniors such as Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah and others should celebrate the mega event. As if this was not enough, even BJP's national president J P Nadda ws told to celebrate the event at a temple in Delhi and he chose Jhandewala Temple for the ceremony. No member of BJP's 300 Mps in Lok Sabha and 93 members in Rajya Sabha attended the event in Ayodhya except a couple of them like Ravi Shankar Prasad. The former Union Minister was invited as he represented Ram Lalla in the Supreme Court and played a key role in winning the case in 2019 right up to the Supreme Court. No Chief Minister of the BJP ruled states other than UP was allowed to visit Ayodhya on January 22. The same rule was applied to Governors or other dignitaries. But this is not all;  you will have to hold your breath! Can you imagine that even a veteran party leader Lallu Singh who represents Ayodhya constituency, was not invited to the event either. Lallu is a two term BJP MP from Ayodhya and five term MLA since 1991. Yet he was forced to cool his heels outside and told to celebrate with other constituents elsewhere. For Mps and the Union Council of Ministers, Modi chalked out a plan that they should celebrate the event all over the country to galvanize the people. Their participation will create an unprecedented fervor that their leaders are celebrating the event with them. They should celebrate January 22 as Diwali with them to keep the flag flying.

Modi moves closer to contesting from South

This column had said on January 4 that Modi may enter the electoral race from South India to garner numbers in the Lok Sabha to cover losses in the North and Western parts of the country. With PM traveling to Southern states almost twice a week subsequently and on a pilgrimage to one temple after the temple to create a strong electoral base for the BJP has strengthened this belief. There are clear indications that the Prime Minister may contest either from Kerala's Thrissur or Thiruvantapuram or may opt for any of the five seats that the BJP contested in Tamil Nadu. The BJP candidate from Kanyakumari was a runner's up in 2019 Lok Sabha polls and the party polled 1.15 crore votes in TN. This apart, the BJP has already sealed a deal with the JD (S) in Karnataka to ensure that the party wins all 28 seats. It is now clear that the BJP will go with TDP in Andhra Pradesh in the Lok Sabha polls. TDP's Chandrababu Naidu and former Chief Minister H D Deve Gowda were invited to the Ram Temple ceremony and they attended the event as well. In Telangana, the BJP is holding secret talks with the BRS leaders who are also looking for a strategy after the party was routed in the Assembly. K C Chandrashekhar Rao has been maintaining a stony silence after the rout. The BJP is also hoping that its ally in Puducherry may part with the Lok Sabha seat for the BJP. A senior BJP leader handling southern India said if Modi contests from Southern India, it will create a strong wave in favour of the BJP. No doubt, Indira Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi had also contested from Southern India in the past. But there is a huge difference as Indira Gandhi contested from Chikmanglur as she was in search of a safe seat. The same goes for Sonia Gandhi and even Rahul Gandhi who opted for Wayanad in Kerala as it became clear to him that he may lose Amethi which eventually happened.

Cabinet expansion Unlikely

PM Modi seems to have signaled to BJP allies and party leadership that no useful purpose will be served by expanding the Union Council of Ministers at the fag end of Lok Sabha's term as it may send a wriong signal. No doubt, Modi is somewhat worried about BJP's prospects in some of the states like Bihar, Punjab, Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal etc. But he feels that undertaking an expansion to induct allies- NCP, Sena Shinde faction, Chirag Paswan, JD (S) and his own party colleagues- will be seen as if he is placating them. This has dashed the hopes of Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Vasundhararaje Scindia and many others in the party.

Flutter over Mahatab's meet with Amit Shah

A meeting between the Biju Janata Dal member of Parliament, Bhartruhari Mahtab with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, at the latter’s residence in New Delhi early this week fueled speculation about the former joining the BJP. Mahatab has an excellent rapport with the BJP leaders, including the PM. The Cuttack MP had earlier earned the wrath of the BJD leadership for criticizing his party in the daily newspaper edited by him. No wonder, then, that Mahtab’s meeting with Shah raised eyebrows in the BJD. But he doused the fire saying he attended the Rajya Bhasha committee meeting chaired by Shah of which he is a member as well.

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Fly on the Wall

Modi halts Maldive port project

Prime Minister Modi has refused to be cowed down by anti-India rhetoric by the Maldivian government under its President Mohamed Muizzu who officially proposed that India withdraw its military presence before March 15. On the contrary, India has toughened its stand and decided to immediately halt the process of building a sea port in Maldive. As a gesture of good will, the Modi government had announced in 2020 that India will undertake several developmental projects in the Maldives, including a $ 500 million Greater Malé Connectivity Project (GMCP), billed as the largest ever infrastructure project in the country. India had promised to support implementation

of GMCP in Maldives through a financial package consisting of a grant of $100 million and a new Line of Credit of $400 million. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar signed the agreement in 2020 and tender was floated too.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh laid the foundation stone on May 3, 2023 which was the first visit of an Indian Defense Minister to the island nation in 11 years. But the bonhomie went for a toss after recent derogatory comments by Maldivian ministers targeting Modi. The Maldivian ministers mocked Modi over his recent visit to Lakshadweep. Though the Maldive President suspended the three ministers, no apology came. The relationship took a turn for the worst when President Muizzu, after concluding his five-day China visit, said that no country had the right to "bully" his country. In a tit-for-tat move, the Indian government has now decided to bring the port project to a halt, sending a clear signal that India cannot be cowed down. India has also decided to put on hold several other projects which were underway in Iceland.

Priyanka goes to USA, South clamours for her

With Rahul Gandhi on the 67-day long Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has quietly left for the USA on a private visit. Though she is a general secretary in the AICC, no specific task worth a salt has been given to her so far. It is widely rumoured that Priyanka Gandhi is seriously considering contesting from either Karnataka or Telangana as UP is a tricky state where the Congress will have to heavily depend upon either the BSP or SP or others. It is also felt that since Rahul Gandhi decided to contest from Wayanad in Kerala, the Congress won 15 out of 20 seats in 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The Telangana Congress is very keen that Priyanka Gandhi should contest to improve the party's tally from two to at least ten. The Telangana Congress wants Priyanka to be fielded from Medak, which once elected Indira Gandhi in 1980.

Similarly, the Karnataka Congress is also lobbying to persuade the high command to shift Rahul Gandhi from Wayanad in Kerala to Chikmagalur or some other seat in north Karnataka or Priyanka Gandhi be allowed to contest from the state. Interestingly, the Karnataka Congress is also keen that a member of the Gandhi family be fielded from the state as it's a tough call to win seats due to the BJP-Deve Gowda alliance. If any of the members of the Gandhi family  contests, he or she will be the third generation from the Nehru-Gandhi family to contest from the state. Indira Gandhi had resurrected her political career in 1978 by winning a by-election from Chikmagalur and Sonia Gandhi had also won the Bellary seat defeating Sushma Swaraj of the BJP in 1999.

Whiff of a Cabinet reshuffle! 

Whispers in the corridors of power say that the BJP high command is busy evolving a plan to rehabilitate two former Chief Ministers; Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Vasundhararaje Scindia of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan respectively. It is felt that the two former CMs had shown grace and quietly accepted the high command's decision to bid adieu for the key post in their states. One view is that both be inducted in the Union Cabinet in order to strengthen the rank & file of the party. A couple of new allies, such as Shiv Sena (Shinde), NCP (Ajit), LJP (Ram Vilas), JD (S) and others to help the NDA in the Lok Sabha polls. Since the Kharmas (inauspicious period) is over, there is a view that minor reshuffle can be held though Lok Sabha polls are just a couple of months away. Union Home & Cooperative Minister Amit Shah had said at a public meeting that Shivraj Singh Chouhan will be given a big responsibility. Though he did not elaborate as induction in Cabinet is the prerogative of the PM, it is felt that Chouhan has more years in public life before he attains 75 years of cut-off age. The hopefuls are keeping their fingers crossed as no one has a clue of what's cooking in Modi's mind. 

tailpiece: If in 2014, PM Modi's mantra was "Na Khaunga aur na khane doonga" (I will not allow any corruption in my regime), in 2019, there was a new mantra: Na sounga na sone doonga (Neither I will sleep nor allow you to sleep). I am Pradhan Sewak and you are also in public service. Therefore you too are expected to serve the people 24x7. Wait for the new one sermon in 2024!

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

INDIA may reach consensus on 400+ Lok Sabha seats

Congress willing to share seats in its bastion too

Irrespective of the skirmish among the INDI Alliance comprising 28 parties, it is expected that consensus may finally emerge on more than 400 Lok Sabha seats out of 543 seats.

According to backroom boys working to identify seats and states where allies could give a one-to-one fight to the BJP in May 2024, the number may turn out to be even higher. Though certain leaders are throwing tantrums due to one reason or the other. But they are facing a challenge of their survival post 2024 Lok Sabha polls. They are fully aware about their fate if PM Modi returns to his third term with a mandate of 300 plus Lok Sabha seats.

A senior Congress leader who is part of negotiations said, “We are targeting for 450 Lok Sabha seats where consensus can be achieved. There are seats in every state where some friendly fights may take place. But INDIA will give a straight fight to the BJP on 400 plus seats for sure.”

The Congress leadership has an open mind in conceding seats to INDIA partners in its own bastions like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Gujarat, Tripura and other states if it helps defeating the BJP, said the source.

But there are states where it's a barren land for INDIA partners like Andhra Pradesh (25) and Odisha (21). The Congress is looking at a tie-up with TDP in Andhra and TMC & JD(U) & other parties in Odisha. Then there are states like Telangana (17) and Karnataka (28) where no Opposition party has any claim to seats. The alliance already exists in Bihar, Jharkhand, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and a couple of smaller states. There are hiccups in UP (80 seats), West Bengal (42 seats) and some North Eastern states. These will take time but a solution will be found in the weeks to come. The fact that the Congress has scaled down the number of LS seats it will contest from 350 to 260 has sent a positive message to other partners.

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Fly on the wall

Tough call to disqualify AAP

AAP Convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had brought a new hope in the country of cleansing the political system in the country in 2013. He defeated two leading political parties, Congress and the BJP, in Delhi and later emerged victorious in Punjab as well. He made some unsuccessful forays in other parts of the country. But 'the hope' remained that one day he would bring change in the political system. However, it seems a mirage and it is clear that he has missed the bus as he is embroiled in one controversy or the other. Be it Rs 50 crore spent on his chief ministerial bungalow or granting favours to his party men in violation of rules. Some of his ministers also landed in jail in one corruption case or the other. The liquor gate has taken a heavy toll and may turn out to be Kejriwal's nemesis. He has been ignoring the summons issued by the ED on one ground or the other. It transpires that the ED may move towards making AAP an accused in the liquor-gate leading to its deregistration. If that happens it will be the rarest of the rare cases in the country's 75 years of democratic history. It is said the file pertaining to making AAP an accused is awaiting legal clearance as its an uncharted territory for top law officers. The ED has in the past made companies, trusts, societies accused in several cases. One view is that let the ED file a case under the PMLA act making AAP an accused through its Convener and treasurer and leave to the wisdom of the courts to take a final call. It may be mentioned that BJP's president Bangaru Laxman in 2001 was caught on camera accepting Rs one lakh cash. But the BJP was not made an accused by the UPA government. Therefore, disqualifying a party for receiving ill-gotten money will be a tough call.

Importance of being ND Gupta

When Arvind Kejriwal renominated 78 year-old ND Gupta for a second term in the Rajya Sabha, heads turned in political circles. He is soft-spoken and not many even know him as he hardly spoke in the House during his first stint since 2018. Perhaps, Kejriwal knew his importance and that's why a chartered accountant by profession was picked up by him for a second term too. Gupta has been maintaining the AAP's funds as treasurer right from the beginning. It was largely because of his skills that the probe agencies couldn't find any wrongdoing in the books of accounts of the party. When the liquor-gate scam surfaced, Gupta was repeatedly grilled by the ED but got nothing in return. It is Gupta's skills that the ED is hesitant to move towards seeking de-registration of the AAP itself. BJP's Leader in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal who was party's treasurer, is also a chartered accountant by profession. It was Gupta who brought a closure of the defamation case against Kejriwal slapped by late Arun Jaitley. Kejriwal was sure to be convicted in the said case. Gupta convinced Jaitley to accept a written apology and close the chapter.

Why Ayodhya missing from Rahul's Yatra 2.0

It is rather surprising that the route map Congress released of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra starting from Imphal on January 14 does not cover Ayodhya. The yatra will cover several states including UP's Amethi, Rae Bareli, Varanasi, Prayagraj and Lucknow. But Ayodhya is missing from his itinerary particularly when Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi have been temple hopping for the past two years across the country. It has become clear that Rahul Gandhi will not go to Ayodhya on January 22. But he could have included Ayodhya in his itinerary during the course of his Yatra particularly when his late father Rajiv Gandhi was instrumental in opening the gates of the structure where Ram Lalla was installed in the structure and later laid the foundation stone too. Rajiv Gandhi even launched his 1989 election campaign from Faizabad, a few kilometres from Ayodhya. Rajiv Gandhi even promised to usher in Ram Rajya. Many in the party feel this is a glaring omission. There are indications that senior Congress leaders invited for the Temple opening on January 22 may either go a day early or later though no final decision has been taken.

No Party season in Lutyens' Delhi

Gone are the days when Delhi's upmarket social circles used to host parties and whosoever is anybody in the town used to attend these parties. Interestingly, the politicians were not invited in numbers to such high end parties and bureaucrats were preferred. But after the advent of Modi as PM in Delhi, this culture is fading fast. Fed up of non-availability of top ranking bureaucrats, chiefs of PSUs and key ministers, these socialites have stopped hosting parties completely. What used to be a monthly routine, has become a rare event and that too on the eve of New Year. A retired secretary to the government, Anil Swarup, described how Narendra Modi’s engagement with the bureaucracy has evolved after he took over the reins in 2014. In the initial years, Modi encouraged officials to speak their minds freely and was very receptive. He prodded secretaries to have a free and frank discourse and learnt inner workings of the previous governments. What happened to them later is a well known chapter. 

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Bonhomie returns to INDI Alliance partners in Maharashtra 

Numbers don't matter, winning seat important, says Sanjay Raut

Fissures among the INDI Alliance partners notwithstanding over distribution of Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), Congress and NCP have toned down tough talking in public. Senior leaders of Congress and Sena seem to have decided to sort out issues through internal discussions. While Congress state Chief Nana Patole was mellowed down in Delhi, Senior Uddhav Sena leader and Rajya Sabha MP, Sanjay Raut also sent a similar signal.

He said, “It is not important who contests how many seats; we need to defeat the unholy ruling alliance in the Lok Sabha polls.”

When asked whether the Sena would insist on contesting 23 seats as stated earlier, he told Lokmat, “Numbers don't matter.” He declined to elaborate saying, “Wait and see. We may have some new allies.”

It is learnt that Prakash Ambedkar may also join the alliance in Maharashtra. During the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) joined hands with AIMIM and both parties contested all 48 seats polling 7.65% votes. This time, he is keen to contest under INDIA.

The Uddhav Sena had contested 23 seats and won 18 polling 23.5% votes in 2019 Lok Sabha polls while the BJP won 23 out of 25 it contested polling 27.84% votes. Though the majority of Sena MPs joined hands with Shinde Sena, the Uddhav faction was insisting on contesting 23 seats. But lately it seems to have toned down its demand and winnability criteria is under discussion.

In 2019 polls, the AIMIM emerged as a force in Maharashtra damaging the prospects of Congress-NCP and clinched a seat for its candidate Imtiyaz Jaleel. The INC contested 25 seats polling 16.41% and could win one seat only while NCP contested 19 polling 15.66% winning 4 seats. The NCP supported candidate Amravati's Navneet Ram who later joined hands with the BJP.

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Many prominent Union Ministers from Rajya Sabha may be asked to contest Lok Sabha polls

Uncertainty Over BJP Chief J P Nadda entering fray

With the Rajya Sabha term of several senior Union Ministers including that of BJP president J P Nadda expiring in April this year, the high command is toying with the idea of fielding many of them in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls.

It is learnt that some of the Union Ministers like Mansukh Mandaviya Parshottam Rupala and (Gujarat), Bhupender Yadav (Haryana), Dharmendra Pradhan (Odisha), Rajeev Chandrashekhar (Karnataka), Narayan Rane (Maharashtra), V Muraleedharan (Kerala) may be asked to contest. Many of them have been in Rajya Sabha for two to three terms and worked hard during the polls.

Though names of Union Ministers Ashwini Vaishnav (Odisha) and Piyush Goyal who is also leader of the Rajya Sabha are also being mentioned. But it seems unlikely that they will be fielded. Goyal has four more years to go in RS and has wide experience to work as a backroom boy of the party since 2014 polls. The names of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar from New Delhi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman from Madurai are being mentioned. But its a tough call for the party though Modi is keen to change the face of the Rajya Sabha.

A crucial decision also has to be taken for the BJP Chief Jagat Prakash Nadda whose term is expiring in April and he cannot be elected from Himachal Pradesh this time as Congress is the ruling party there. Being the party chief, he is expected to oversee 2024 LS polls rather than contest himself. Secondly, it would be politically incorrect if he is renominated to the RS from any other state. Even Amit Shah did not contest and worked as poll in-charge of the crucial state of UP in 2014 where BJP won 73 seats out of 80.

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Fly on the wall 

No Takers of BJP ticket! Are you sure ?

The BJP leadership is targeting 51% votes and 400 Lok Sabha seats in 2024 polls. The BJP leadership is aiming to deny tickets to more than 100 sitting LS Mps. But hold your breath as there is another side of the story too. It may even sound unbelievable but true and leaders are tight-lipped on the issue. The Fly learns that many of the sitting Mps have decided not to contest the Lok Sabha polls in 2024 and seek tickets. These are not the ones who are in their seventies or sixties and have been among the performing ones. No doubt, out of 303 sitting BJP Mps, majority of them came from either other parties or hardcore professionals who had their name or fame in their areas of operations. Some of these Mps have been hardcore loyalists of the BJP and have put in long years. But they find the going tough and unable to cope with the new style of functioning of the party. They feel that they are no more human beings but like machines which work as per Master's diktat. They have no life of their own and they have to work for the party 24X7. If they don't retweet top leaders' tweets, they would get a call; if they don't upload photos of what they did during the day or in their constituencies, they would get a stinker; if they found missing from their seats in parliament house between 11 am to 6 pm, they would get a written note; if they don't attend a party function, they would get a call. They find it extremely difficult to spend time with their families and sure to get a terse message from the top. The new “work culture” is taking a heavy toll on them mentally. They are always on their toes and decided to call it a day. Many of them have decided not to seek a re-nomination. One will have to wait before events unfold in the weeks to come.

Viksit Bharat or India shining Part 2

Prime Minister Modi's nation wide Viksit Bharat Yatra to touch every nook & corner to spread the government's massive welfare schemes benefiting nearly 50 crores plus people is hailed as a unique move. More than 2500 state-of-the-art buses have been deployed to publicize the government's achievements. But those who worked during the Atal Behari Vajpayee era say that the then PM also launched India Shining yatra on Raths which was the brainchild of the then Finance Minister Jaswant Singh in 2003. An advertising firm Grey Worldwide handled the campaign in 2003 and the government spent an estimated 20 million USD on publicity featuring the "India Shining" slogan. The campaign flopped as Vajpayee lost the 2004 Lok Sabha polls.

Modi may have drawn a leaf out of Vajpayee's book in respect of Raths. But he is handling it differently as buses are not merely for publicity. PM Modi dug out a virtually defunct Field Publicity Unit under the I&B Ministry created by late Indira Gandhi to showcase her government's achievements in rural areas. He sent a team of top officers along with buses to sort out problems of beneficiaries or left out ones as well. In order to take full political advantage, the BJP leadership directed its Mps and workers to go door to door to make a list of beneficiaries who have benefited from Centre's welfare schemes and help in resolving their problems too. The BJP teams are connected to call centers at every district to help them on the spot.

Rahul's No to Parliamentary Committees

The Lok Sabha seat may have been restored to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. But he has not opted to become a member of any of the standing parliamentary committees including External Affair or Defense. No reasons have been given by sources close to him who say that he has not even taken back possession of his Tughlak Lane bungalow either. Rahul Gandhi, it seems, wants to give full time to politics including his Bharat Nyay Yatra as he considers 2024 a “do or die” battle with the BJP.

Modi pitching from South !

There is considerable speculation that Prime Minister Modi may explore the possibility of contesting from a Southern state in 2024. One of the key reasons under consideration is if Modi contests from any of the four states, it will galvanize the party and voters in the entire region.  In 2014 Modi opted for the Varanasi seat which was completely new for him instead of the safe seat in Gujarat. The move paid rich dividends to the party winning a record number of Lok Sabha seats from UP. Modi's repeated forays to Tamil Nadu, doling out funds for state's development and propagating Tamil Sangamam in Kanshi indicate that something is cooking. A senior BJP leader said these are mere speculations as no one can have an inkling of it. However, one thing is clear; Modi won't contest from two seats and therefore prospects of such an experiment are remote.

On the other hand, INDIA allies are also exploring the possibilities of putting up a common candidate against Modi from Varanasi. This proposal was discussed at one of the meetings of INDIA allies also. In 2019, there was a buzz that Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra might contest from Varanasi. However, the Congress fielded Ajay Rai while Samajwadi Party fielded Shalini Yadav. Modi won the elections bagging over 60 percent votes. But this time, it is clear that INDIA will field a common candidate. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is also exploring the possibilities of contesting from UP. He had announced that he would hold a rally in Varanasi but permission was not given.

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Congress-AAP may team up for Lok Sabha polls, finally

Punjab, Delhi, Gujarat & Goa on table

Contrary to reports, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is inclined to enter into an electoral alliance with the Congress Party in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections. Primary talks between the leaders of two parties indicate the emergence of a positive outcome within the next one week.

The AAP is willing to share seats with the Congress in Punjab and Delhi. The Congress had won 8 Lok Sabha seats out of 13 in Punjab. However, its old party loyalist Parneet Kaur, Patiala Lok Sabha MP, practically joined the BJP along with her husband Capt Amrinder Singh. The Congress won't be able to win this seat. The Congress suffered another setback when it lost Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat to AAP in a crucial bye-poll in May last. Its sitting Lok Sabha MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary necessitated the bye-poll which AAP won and defeated the Congress by a huge margin in a four -cornered contest where BJP came fourth after SAD-BSP combine emerged third.

The Congress leadership wanted 8 seats but may settle for 6 seats leaving 7 for AAP which is the ruling party in the state. Similarly, the AAP is willing to give two seats to Congress out of seven in Delhi. The Delhi local unit is keen for three seats as the AAP-Congress combine may emerge stronger together.

The BJP has been winning all seven seats in Delhi due to division of votes of the Opposition and massive Modi wave in 2014 & 2019.

However, AAP offer is with a caveat; it wants a pie in the cake in Gujarat where it polled 13% votes in the Assembly polls. The AAP blames the Congress for not entering into an alliance in Gujarat and giving seats on platter to the BJP. AAP has a vote bank in Goa and a couple of areas in Maharashtra too. It wants a foot-hold in Haryana too. Those privy to talks say that the mood is positive in both the parties and deal may be clinched

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Congress keen to close seat-sharing talks with INDIA by January 15

Ready to give seats in its bastion to partners

The Congress high command has signaled to INDIA alliance partners that it is keen to close seat-sharing talks for the Lok Sabha polls with them before January 15. More than the Gandhis, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is keen that seat-sharing talks be fast-tracked so that INDIA can move towards holding joint rallies wherever possible.

If reports emanating from sources close to Rahul Gandhi are any indication, he has said that his party is not averse to making Bihar Chief Minister and JD (U) chief Nitish Kumar as convener of the INDIA alliance. But it should not rock the INDIA alliance boat itself as other partners like TMC, AAP, SP etc may also accept such a proposal.

The Congress has also indicated to its allies that it is open to sharing seats with them in some of its own strong-holds like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and a couple of other states. Kharge and Rahul Gandhi seem to be on the same page in respect of giving a one-to-one fight to the NDA in around 400 seats if not 450 in 2024 polls.

The Congress will start formal conversations on seat sharing with INDIA Bloc partners after January 4 when its state units submit their status report about the ground level situation. The state units have been clearly told that no should not stake claim on excessive seats as they did during the Assembly polls. The Madhya Pradesh unit has been clearly told that it will have to leave seats for the allies and the writ of the high command will run in allocation of seats. There are some difficult states where differences exist. But considering the threat from the NDA, the INDIA allies are keen to close the chapter by January 15 too.