Congress is considering to field its candidates in 255 seats for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
According to the reports, the party has informed its state units about its decision.
Earlier, Congress held a meeting with party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi and AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal attending it.
The leaders met members of the party’s five-member national alliance committee, and hinted at the willingness to contest from a lesser number of seats than it did during the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, IE reported.
According to the report, amid much anticipation about seat-sharing by opposition INDIA bloc parties, the Congress has asked members to begin seat-sharing talks with other parties immediately.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge told a separate meeting of AICC general secretaries and state in-charges, state Congress presidents, and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leaders earlier in the day that the party would focus on 255 seats, the report said.
Regional political partisan conflicts erupt:
The opposition INDIA bloc is yet to formally declare its seat-sharing decision for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
However, even before a meeting could be held, the Congress seemed to have had run-ins with several regional parties over seat-sharing.
Regional political partisan conflicts have erupted in West Bengal, Maharashtra, and Punjab.
In West Bengal, Lok Sabha MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury led-Congress has displayed a rift with INDIA bloc ally and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the latter's claim that the TMC would give the Congress two seats from West Bengal. Notably, Adhir Chowdhury and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee have opposed each other for the seat of governance in West Bengal, forever.
Congress leaders from West Bengal suggested demanding six seats and possibly securing at least four from the TMC, the report said.
In Punjab, the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and the Congress have engaged in mud-slinging and bickering despite being INDIA bloc allies.
In Maharashtra, Sanjay Raut of the Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena (UBT), had remarked that the Congress should start seat-sharing talks with the former, as the party has "not won any seat" in the state.
The Lok Sabha comprises a total of 545 seats. Out of these, elections will be conducted by the Election Commission to fill 543 seats.
