New Delhi, Dec 4 (PTI) Ahead of the December 6 meeting of the INDIA bloc, the issue of deciding on seat sharing was raised by leaders of the TMC during a meeting of opposition leaders held on Monday to decide the strategy for the Winter Session of Parliament, according to sources.
TMC was represented by Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha floor leaders – Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Derek O’Brien – in the meeting held in Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s chamber in the Parliament.
It is learnt that at the meeting, TMC leaders said that seat sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls should be concluded soon to give candidates enough time to prepare for the elections.
This came a day after BJP emerged victorious in three Hindi heartland states – Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh – while Congress won Telangana.
In Kolkata, TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she won’t be able to attend the INDIA bloc meeting, citing prior engagements in North Bengal.
Banerjee said she was unaware of the meeting date and indicated that had she been informed in advance, “she would have rescheduled her itinerary.”
The TMC leader also said the BJP won more seats than the Congress in Rajasthan because of a split in votes among its opponents.
“A strategy has to be finalised. I think BJP won’t come to power if seat sharing is finalised,” she said
There have been rumblings within the INDIA bloc after Congress’ loss in the three states in the Hindi heartland, with the Samajwadi Party, which was miffed after being ignored in seat-sharing, expressing its displeasure openly.
The SP was also missing from the meeting on Monday morning, the sources said.
Leaders of parties like the Shiv Sena (UBT), JD(U) and Aam Aadmi Party have said that the Congress should be more accommodating of regional allies.
In Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the Congress thought it was competent to win against the BJP on its own and did not join forces with the other INDIA alliance parties “due to its greed”.
“Had they joined hands with the other parties, this would not have been the result. They were greedy and lusted for power. They wanted it all for themselves. That is what led to this situation in those states,” the Left leader said.
Meanwhile, TMC leaders stressed at the opposition meeting on Monday that the Winter Session should be used to raise important issues. They insisted that multiple issues should be taken up and the session should not be wasted by protesting on any one issue.
They suggested that the opposition should stage protests, but not force adjournments so that the time can be utilised for raising key issues.
The opposition parties are keen on having a long debate on the three criminal bills meant to replace the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act.
They will also seek a discussion on the Ethics Panel’s report recommending the expulsion of TMC MP Mahua Moitra.
