INDIA bloc to decide in 10-15 days on who will hold which post, says Kharge

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 6

Amid speculation that the INDIA bloc could pick a convener ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said leaders of INDIA parties would take a decision within 10-15 days on the allocation of posts in the opposition bloc.

Addressing a press conference, Kharge also said he would decide “very soon” on whether he would attend the Ram Temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22.

Seat-sharing issues to be ironed out

• Seat-sharing issues of INDIA bloc partners for LS polls to be resolved soon, says Kharge
• The number of seats the party will contest will be decided after consultations with the alliance constituents

Stating that seat-sharing issues of the INDIA bloc partners for the Lok Sabha polls would be resolved soon, Kharge said the Congress was working on all 545 Lok Sabha constituencies and had appointed observers for all seats to make an assessment about the party’s chances. The exact number of seats the party would contest would be decided after consultations with the constituents of the opposition alliance.

Inputs from the observers would also be handy if there was disagreement among the partners over the allocation of a seat, Kharge said.

On who could be the convener of the alliance, Kharge said, “It is like asking kaun banega crorepati.”

He said a meeting of the INDIA bloc partners would be held in 10-15 days where a final shape would be given to “who would hold what office in the alliance”.

The Congress had already constituted a committee under Mukul Wasnik and its members were working to pave the way for seat sharing with other parties, Kharge said.

The Wasnik-led committee already had one meeting with him at his residence, Kharge said, adding that committee members were meeting on alternate days.

The team was holding preliminary meetings with state leaders, including PCC chiefs and CLP leaders. Later, the team would speak to leaders of other parties to find out what they wanted and then a final decision regarding sharing of seats would be taken.

Kharge said coalition partners of the INDIA bloc would hold joint rallies. Places where these rallies would be held would be announced soon.

Congress sources said while views of the state units would be given utmost importance, the final call would be taken by Kharge regarding the sharing of seats for the Lok Sabha polls.

On attending the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple, Kharge said, “I have got an invitation. Prime Minister Modi’s former Principal Secretary had come along with the secretary of the (temple) trust. I will decide on it very soon.”

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