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Congress’s 3 state units urge top brass to not ally with AAP, TMC
The Congress party's efforts to form alliances against the BJP may face resistance from its state units in Delhi, Punjab, and West Bengal. State leaders are concerned that such alliances could result in Congress votes shifting to the BJP. Party chief Mallikarjun Kharge has assured state leaders that no decision on alliances will be imposed upon them. Similar concerns have been raised in Punjab and West Bengal, where local leaders oppose alliances with the AAP and TMC respectively. Seat-sharing talks within the opposition INDIA group are expected to begin in December.
New Delhi: The Congress’s efforts to stitch a seat pact against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to face resistance from its state units in Delhi, Punjab and West Bengal, where local leaders remain opposed to the dominant Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) partners in the regions, the Aam Aadmi Party and Trinamool Congress respectively.
The three state units have conveyed to the central leadership the dangers of such alliances, senior leaders said, seeking anonymity. “The common concern among the three state units is that such alliances can lead to transfer of the Congress votes to the BJP,” said a Congress leader involved in issues related to the opposition INDIA grouping.
“Two meetings have been held with Delhi leaders in the past few months before the festive season started. In both meetings, leaders expressed strong reservations about joining hands with the AAP,” said another leader who was present in the meetings. “They argued that if the ruling party and the Opposition joined hand, then the Congress vote would shift to the BJP.”
The voices from the state units assume importance as party chief Mallikarjun Kharge told state leaders during the Congress working committee meeting in Hyderabad on September 16 and 17 that no decision on poll alliances will be imposed upon them, and they will be consulted before taking any decision on poll pacts.
The situation is similar in Punjab, where the Congress faced a humiliating defeat and won only 18 seats in the 2022 assembly elections. The AAP won 92 of the 117 seats and replaced the Congress government. “We are fighting against the AAP in Punjab. We are the principal opposition party in the state. If we enter into any pact with the AAP, our voters will shift to the Akali Dal and the BJP,” said a Punjab leader, requesting anonymity.
During the working committee meeting, similar concerns were raised by Partap Singh Bajwa, Congress legislative party chief in Punjab. Kharge cut him short and said the meeting was not the right forum to discuss state alliances, said people aware of developments.
West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has also communicated to the central leadership that the Congress and the Left have emerged as the third front in the state, two leaders said. The state unit objected to any pact with the TMC for its allegedly vindictive attitude towards Congress workers, said the leaders quoted above.
The INDIA group’s seat-sharing talks are expected to start in December after elections in five states get over. The Congress, contesting the elections in all five provinces, is preoccupied with poll campaigns and has delayed seat talks for the 2024 parliamentary elections.
