Lok Sabha Polls Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Lokmarg

A day after the Congress rang in key organisational changes, close on the heels of the party setting up a panel to iron out all thorny issues with partners in the INDIA bloc going into next year’s Lok Sabha polls, former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday said the high command will hold discussions with leaders of other leaders and explore seat-sharing possibilities before carrying forward talks with the Bloc partners.

Speaking to ANI after attending the inaugural meeting of the Congress’s National Alliance Committee, of which he is a member, Baghel said, “I attended the inaugural meeting of our National Alliance Committee today alongside Ashok Gehlot, Mukul Wasnik and Mohan Prakash. We will hold discussions with the presidents of those states where we could reach an understanding (on allocation of seats) with like-minded partners. The high command will be briefed about these meetings ahead of further discussions within the INDIA bloc.”

The inaugural meeting of the National Alliance Committee was held in the national capital on Saturday.

Congress formed the five-member NAC earlier this week, with Wasnik as convenor and veteran leaders including former Rajasthan CM Gehlot, Baghel, former Union minister Salman Khurshid, and Mohan Prakash as members.

The panel is mandated to hold discussions on potential state-based alliances and seat-sharing deals with other political parties for the Lok Sabha elections next year.

While the INDIA partners came together for their fourth meeting in Delhi on Tuesday, the prickly seat-sharing issue was left unaddressed.

However, fresh from being routed in the key heartland states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, a convergence among all INDIA partners on seat-sharing has become all the more important ahead of the next general elections.

At its fourth meeting on December 19, the Bloc passed a resolution against the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in the Lok Sabha polls and on the bulk suspension of Opposition MPs from Parliament during the just-concluded Winter Session.

Addressing a joint media briefing after the meeting on Tuesday, Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge said all partners agreed that the suspension of MPs is undemocratic.

The meeting took place in the backdrop of the escalating war of words between the Centre and the Opposition over the suspension row and ruckus in Parliament over the demand for a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the December 13 security breach incident.

The fourth meeting of the alliance saw the attendance of 28 parties. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Amid efforts at opposition unity for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, former Gujarat Chief Minister Shankersinh Vaghela, who had campaigned for the Congress in the assembly polls in the state last year, met Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday.

Both Samajwadi Party and Vaghela, a former Congress legislative party leader in Gujarat, described it “courtesy meeting”.
“I have come here on a courtesy call…If there is any political talk, information will be shared,” Vaghela told ANI.

Asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks on Uniform Civil Code, Vaghela said, “It is their marketing-nothing else…”

Akhilesh Yadav was part of the mega conclave of opposition parties in Patna last month that was aimed at fostering unity for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had said after the meeting that they will fight the elections together and the discussions will be carried forward in another meeting of opposition parties in July.

There have been suggestions in the opposition camp that the largest and strongest party should lead the battle in a state.

Uttar Pradesh is among the states where opposition parties including the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, and Congress have clashing ambitions. Samajwadi Party appears keen to get the support of other national parties in its aim to win maximum Lok Sabha seats from the state.

It remains to be seen how many seats Congress would agree to fight if there is an understanding with Samajwadi Party for the Lok Sabha polls. The state has significance for the national ambitions of Congress while SP is also keen to emerge as a key player.

BSP leader Mayawati had taken a dig at the meeting of opposition parties in Patna and had referred to Uttar Pradesh which sends 80 MPs to Lok Sabha. She had said that it does not seem from the attitude of opposition parties that they are serious about their objective in Uttar Pradesh.

Vaghela’s meeting with Yadav,a former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, is being seen as politically significant.

Vaghela had experimented with a third force in Gujarat and formed Rashtriya Janata Party and Jan Vikalp Morcha and Praja Shakti Democratic Party. The octogenarian leader was the Leader of Opposition in the Gujarat assembly and resigned from the Congress in 2017. His son had joined the Congress ahead of the last assembly polls in Gujarat. Vaghela had broken away from BJP and became Chief Minister for almost a year in 1996. He also served as a union minister in the Manmohan Singh government. (ANI)

Tag: Lok Sabha Polls

Will Hold Discussions With Party Chiefs Where Alliances Could Be Formed: Baghel

Vaghela Meets Akhilesh Amid Efforts At Oppo Unity For 2024 LS Polls