TMC offers 2 Lok Sabha seats to Congress in Bengal for 2024 polls, says report

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) party has reportedly offered two of its seats to INDIA bloc ally Congress in its ruling state of West Bengal for 2024 Lok Sabha elections, sources told India Today. The sources added party chief and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee believes that the ruling party in the state ought to have the last say when it comes to seat distribution.

Speaking on seat-sharing number, sources told the daily that the seat sharing numbers takes into account both state assembly elections and parliamentary elections.

Earlier in December, on seat sharing, TMC had proposed that the arrangement should be finalised by December 31, however, no announcement has been made yet. Meanwhile, in the last INDIA bloc meeting which was held on 20 December, Banerjee had told media that she and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal have proposed Mallikarjun Kharghe's name for the PM's face of the bloc. Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav recently said that Nitish Kumar was an experienced leader and it would be great if a proposal came to make him the convenor of the INDIA coalition. Yadav, who belongs to the RJD, also exuded confidence that the seemingly thorny issue of seat-sharing will be sorted out "without any problem".

Also Read: Mallikarjun Kharge for PM? INDIA bloc assures 'all decisions' within 20 days: Top points

Despite losing national party status, TMC remains a dominant political force in Bengal, buoyed by a triumphant victory in the violence-marred rural polls and aiming to play a pivotal role in the national opposition alliance INDIA  ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. 

Meanwhile, the Congress today i.e. on January 4 will be holding a meeting of the party's state unit chiefs and legislative party leaders in the national capital to discuss preparations for the Lok Sabha polls and 'Bharat Nyay Yatra' to be undertaken by party leader Rahul Gandhi. The Congress announced last month that former party chief Rahul Gandhi will embark on Bharat Nyay Yatra from Manipur to Mumbai from January 14 to March 20. This will be the second yatra by Rahul Gandhi after his Bharat Jodo Yatra last year.