The Congress is likely to begin talks with the parties from the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) on seat sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from the first week of January, party sources said on Friday.
Notably, several parties of the INDIA have already stressed on the need to finalise on seat sharing at the earliest. The INDIA is an umbrella group of the Opposition parties formed in July this year to take on the ruling BJP in the general elections.
The grand old party has constituted a National Alliance Committee (NAC) with Mukul Wasnik as the convenor in view of the Lok Sabha polls. Last week, Wasnik held the maiden meeting of the panel.
“We will discuss with senior leaders of the Pradesh Congress Committees (on seat sharing). We will take their views and after that what needs to be done, we will make a decision,” he had said.
Taking it forward, the convenor of the panel on Friday held a meeting with the leaders of the party’s Bihar and Maharashtra unit here.
“We discussed the political situation of Maharashtra. High command will take the decision on the discussions held (in the meeting). Our only duty is to oust BJP,” Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole told reporters after the meeting.
He added that seat sharing in the state should be based on merit.
Earlier, on seat sharing, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had said all the leaders of INDIA alliance will work together on seat sharing and accordingly all the issues will be resolved.