Doesn't happen so quickly in alliance: Lalu on seat sharing in INDIA bloc

As the INDIA bloc is struggling over the seat-sharing talks, former Chief Minister of Bihar and chief of RJD Lalu Prasad Yadav on Wednesday said that it 'does not happen so quickly' in an alliance, hinting that the deliberation may take more time.

"Seat sharing does not happen so quickly in an alliance..." Lalu Yadav, the chief of RJD, a part of the INDIA bloc said. The RJD is in alliance with the Congress in Bihar and Jharkhand and with the JDU in Bihar.

Earlier on January 15, RJD leader and Bihar Deputy CM Tejashvi Yadav said that the BJP had become nervous after the formation of the INDIA bloc.

"Ever since the grand alliance has been formed, BJP is nervous. Lalu Yadav and CM Nitish Kumar came together, jobs are being given, the reservation was increased, caste-based survey was done, we brought various policies, and there was an investors' summit in Bihar in which MoUs of more than Rs. 50,000 were signed, this has created a fear within some people because we are fulfilling our commitments" Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav said.

INDIA or 'Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance' is a group of opposition parties, including the Congress. The parties have come together to take on the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which is led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and prevent it from winning a third straight term at the Centre in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

However, the INDIA bloc is struggling to resolve key challenges, including finalising seat-sharing arrangements and, most importantly, deciding on a PM face, while the BJP has started executing strategies it laid out in 2023 to secure victory in general elections.

Within the mega alliance, the Shiv Sena (UBT), Trinamool Congress (TMC), and the Janata Dal-United (JDU) have been firm in their demand for a certain number of seats in their respective states.

Earlier in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the NDA won 353 seats, the UPA stood at 91, and Others won 98. The voting was staggered in seven phases between April 11 and May 19, in which around 67 per cent of the nearly 900 million eligible people exercised their franchise to elect 542 members of the Lok Sabha.

Meanwhile, in what is positive news for the INDIA bloc the Aam Admi Party and the Congress have tied up to contest the Chandigarh Mayoral polls. This alliance signals a positive start for the two parties that are also negotiating on seat sharing in Delhi and Punjab.

The Congress is expected to hold seat-sharing talks with all its alliance partners before launching the campaign for the Lok Sabha polls.

Earlier, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that at first, their team will take inputs from their party leaders in various states and then, after coming to a conclusion, they will discuss their demands with their alliance partners.

Kharge added that his party is focusing on all 500-plus constituencies and has appointed parliament observers for the same. Explaining the motive behind such an all-out action, the Congress chief said that they are putting their efforts everywhere in case their alliance partner disagrees with any particular seat.