After more than 50 days, the INDIA bloc's seat-sharing negotiations are still in limbo

 After more than 50 days, the INDIA bloc's seat-sharing negotiations are still in limbo

More than 50 days have passed since the INDIA alliance was formed to compete against the PM Modi-led BJP in the next Lok Sabha elections, but the seat-sharing negotiations are still ongoing.

In order to oppose the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is in power under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the country's next legislative elections, more than a dozen opposition parties this year joined together to establish the "INDIA" coalition. An coalition of 28 political parties is known as the INDIA bloc.

"Seat-sharing arrangements in various versions will be initiated promptly and concluded at the earliest in the spirit of give-and-take," the alliance's resolution said.

There haven't been any updates, however, in 53 days.

The Congress party has been blamed for the delay by two opposition parties.

Also read: 'Seat-sharing saga' leaves INDIA bloc shaken: Is the mountain too high to climb?

Yesterday, a senior member of the Congress acknowledged that they had not started discussions over the sharing formula. The grand-old party is awaiting the outcomes of the next assembly elections, according to a report by the Hindustan Times. The party expects a spike in seats so that it would have more clout in the general elections in 2024.

According to a politician reported by HT, "If we win 3 or 4 of the 5 states, we will have better negotiating power with our allies to negotiate seats." However, it will cause us problems in the seat discussions if we only gain one or two states.

In five states—Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Mizoram—assembly elections are slated for next month.

The INDIA bloc's coordination committee met last month to consider possible seat-sharing arrangements for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The study states that the seat-sharing formula will be determined by the effectiveness of parties in prior elections as well as the size of the main party that belongs to the grouping in each state.

The coalition hasn't yet made any announcements about seat-sharing, however.

The opposition parties joined together to oppose the BJP, the BJP claimed, but the INDIA bloc has already disintegrated.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, poked fun at the INDIA group, saying they were attempting to unite in Delhi while battling among themselves in the states.

Additionally, see Madhya Pradesh elections: Akhilesh Yadav criticizes the Congress and declares, "I would not have trusted."

Chouhan's comments came a day after Akhilesh Yadav, the leader of the Samajwadi Party (SP), criticized the Congress for refusing to provide the party seats in Madhya Pradesh despite their discussions.

Rahul Gandhi, the head of the Congress, said on Tuesday that the opposition INDIA coalition represented 60% more of the nation than the BJP does.

The INDIA group has time, according to a strategist for the Congress, as the elections would likely take place in April. For the purpose of discussing seat-sharing, the bloc has classified the states into three categories: A, B, and C.

"States that have pre-existing pacts (Maharashtra, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, and J&K) fall into this group. B category states include MP, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh, where the Congress is without a doubt the INDIA group's leader. The other states are classified as C category states, and fierce discussions are anticipated there, a non-Congress politician informed Hindustan Times.