Congress Charts Strategic Course for 2024: Focuses on 255 Seats, Signals Cooperation with INDIA Partners

New Delhi: As India gears up for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Congress party is unveiling a strategic shift by signaling its intention to focus on 255 seats, a significant reduction from the 421 seats it contested in the 2019 national elections. . The move comes amid pressure from allies within the Indian bloc, suggesting Congress’ willingness to make space for cooperative partnerships.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge along with senior leader Rahul Gandhi and AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal informed the state units about the decision during a meeting with the party’s National Alliance Committee. The committee, which engaged in extensive discussions with state units, has received approval to begin seat-sharing talks with India’s partners.

In 2019, Congress contested 421 seats and won 52. Now, with a focus on 255 seats, the party is ready for collaborative strategies with members of the Bharat alliance. Seat-sharing talks are expected to be particularly challenging in states like Delhi, Punjab, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.

In Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has expressed willingness to join discussions on seat-sharing, but the state Congress unit is wary of forging an alliance with AAP given the current governance in the state. The Congress unit in West Bengal is against any alliance with the Trinamool Congress. Uttar Pradesh poses another challenge, where the Samajwadi Party has signaled its intention to contest 65 seats, leaving only 15 seats each for the Congress and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).

To deal with these complexities, Congress has opted for state-specific discussions with Indian parties. For example, seat sharing for Delhi and Punjab will be discussed with AAP separately. This approach will be replicated for other parties in the Indian alliance operating in several states.

Senior Congress leader Mukul Wasnik, convenor of the alliance committee, emphasized the state-wise nature of the discussions and confirmed that the alliance will be formed on the basis of influence and strength of the respective parties in specific areas.

As the Congress realigns its electoral strategy, emerging alliances with Indian allies will significantly shape the political landscape ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.