Congress Seat Contenders: Winning Prospects Sole Criteria, No Claim Allowed – CWC Meeting Outcome

The Congress Working Committee’s two-day deliberation has yielded significant outcomes. In a strategic move, the party has decided that Congress MPs cannot claim their current seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Instead, candidates will be chosen based solely on their winning prospects in Kerala and other constituencies. Surveys, conducted by multiple agencies, will assess each constituency’s prospects, and state units will compile shortlists before the final candidate selection.

Some Congress leaders have expressed confidence in the party’s performance in the forthcoming assembly polls across five states. They recommend delaying seat-sharing discussions with INDIA bloc partners for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections until November, allowing the party to negotiate from a position of strength. This departure from last-minute candidate selection is aimed at securing the best candidates this year.

Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge has assured state leaders that any talks on seat sharing with other parties will involve consultations with state units. Ajay Maken has emphasized the need for strategic timing in seat-sharing talks to ensure the party’s interests are protected.

During the extended CWC meeting, state unit chiefs from the poll-bound states presented their reports and campaign strategies. A compilation of welfare schemes implemented by Congress governments in states will be used for campaigning.

While some INDIA alliance leaders advocate early seat sharing, differences exist in several states, including Punjab, Delhi, West Bengal, and Kerala. Leaders stress the importance of strengthening both the Congress organization and the opposition INDIA alliance without compromising the party’s interests.

Sonia Gandhi called for alliance strengthening, while Rahul Gandhi emphasized bolstering both the Congress and the opposition bloc. Some leaders raised concerns about continued attacks by AAP leaders, even when the attacks had ceased. Delhi and Punjab leaders, including Ajay Maken, Alka Lamba, and Partap Singh Bajwa, criticized the AAP’s actions and called for a halt to these attacks. Punjab PCC chief Raja Warring expressed reservations about a tie-up with the AAP in their state, and the issue will be discussed separately with party leadership.