As per insider information, the Trinamool Congress has reportedly extended an offer of two seats to its ally, the Congress party, in West Bengal for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The party, led by Mamata Banerjee, asserts that the principal party in the state should be empowered to make the ultimate decision regarding the distribution of seats, sources suggest.
The allocation of seats, according to sources, adheres to a transparent formula, considering both parliamentary and state assembly elections. Additionally, the Trinamool Congress has reiterated its preference for Mallikarjun Kharge, the President of Congress, to serve as the convenor for the INDIA bloc. While acknowledging the competency of Nitish Kumar, the party believes that Kharge, with his Dalit background, would exert a more substantial influence on 58 seats within the Opposition alliance.
In a recent gathering of the Opposition INDIA bloc held in New Delhi last month, it was collectively decided that discussions on seat-sharing for the 2024 Lok Sabha election should be expedited. The Trinamool Congress had advocated for finalizing seat-sharing details by December 31, 2023, a deadline that has elapsed without the INDIA bloc reaching a consensus on the matter.
