Mamata wanted talks on manifesto as INDIA bloc charts future course

Mamata and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee were not a part of the joint press conference, raising speculation that all was not well within the Opposition alliance.

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee raised the issue of finalising a manifesto quickly for the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, or INDIA, bloc during the two-day meeting of the group in Mumbai, leaders familiar with the matter said, suggesting that the slow pace on certain fronts, including seat-sharing, irked her.

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee raised the issue of finalising a manifesto quickly for the INDIA bloc. (HT)

The West Bengal chief minister and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee were not a part of the joint press conference, raising speculation that all was not well within the Opposition alliance. The TMC, however, said it was a scheduling issue.

People familiar with the matter said that, in the meeting, Mamata suggested that a manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls be prepared quickly to take it to the people, but the proposal did not find much support from other parties at this stage. She later insisted that a mini agenda be prepared so that the election campaign can be launched on October 2, which is the birth anniversary of mahatma Gandhi.The TMC also wanted seat-sharing talks to be taken up sooner, one of the leaders said.

But it was not a major issue, other leaders said, adding that there were no larger or unresolvable issues.

On the whole, these leaders said, the INDIA bloc has now set some clear objectives, and parleys and preparations at the state and national levels will now dominate the group’s road map over the next two months.

The deft handling by the bigger parties will be essential to take along more than 15 smaller outfits that are part of the 28- party alliance, two senior leaders said, asking not to be named. “The top leaders have handled the coordination well. Now it is up to the members of the panels to ensure smooth functioning,” one of them said.

The opposition alliance has formed five panels, which include acampaign committee and a working group for social media. They are likely to start working from next week and seat talks are also expected to begin soon, the leaders said.

The focus will primarily be on seat- sharing arrangements in various states as it is the crucial step for the alliance’s prospects in the 2024 general election, the leaders said. Talks on sharing-seats will have two aspects -- to maximize the number of common candidates, and to avoid friendly contests in as many states as possible, they said.

“Some parties might also demand a broader agreement for the upcoming assembly polls in five states, widely seen as semi-finals for the Lok Sabha elections,” said a Congress leader. “It might not be practically possible to have alliance in all 543 seats of the Lok Sabha. We are aiming for common candidates in at least 400-450 seats.”

States such as West Bengal, Punjab and the Union territories of Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir are expected to see intense negotiations between the dominant INDIA allies. In West Bengal, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), an ally of the Congress in the state, has said it can’t have an alliance with the ruling TMC.

In Delhi and Punjab, the Congress is under pressure from its state unit to contest the parliamentary polls on its own rather than with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). “In Jammu & Kashmir, arch-rivals Peoples Democratic Party and National Conference might also find it difficult to come together after years of rivalry,” said a non-Congress leader who is part of the coordination committee.

The focus will remain on the “difficult” states, a Congress strategist maintained. “As far as the Congress is concerned, we already have existing alliances in Maharashtra, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Tamil Nadu. These alliances will continue for the Lok Sabha polls. We have to now look at pacts in new states including Uttar Pradesh, some northeastern states and possibly in a few states with smaller outfits in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh,” the leader said.

The pressure is also on the Congress to accommodate other parties. In the Bengaluru and Mumbai meetings on July 19and September 1 respectively, opposition leaders such as Lalu Prasad, D Raja and Uddhav Thackeray have urged the Congress to show magnanimity. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, according to a number of opposition leaders, has assured the INDIA bloc that the Congress will do its best to take everyone along with it.

Some Opposition strategists are hoping that a few more parties join the alliance after the upcoming rounds of assembly polls are over.

“We are hopeful that Telangana’s ruling BRS (Bharat Rashtra Samithi), which has supported the opposition on several issues, will join us after the Telangana elections this year,” said a leader. “The BRS has so far stayed away from the alliance due to the Congress, but Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao was active in bringing all opposition parties together.”