From CK Nayak
New Delhi, Feb 25: Amidst talks of a disunited opposition INDIA bloc, the Trinamool Congress might clinch the Tura seat from the Congress as a part of an overall deal already reached in some states.
The climb down of the opposition parties, particularly Congress, has come after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s exit left the Congress-led INDIA bloc in tatters.
It is also said that after Rahul Gandhi’s “successful” Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, the grand old party has realised the need to put up a united fight in as many states as possible.
With Rahul’s advice to the Congress to understand the ground realities, the party has veered around and reached seat-sharing deals in Delhi, Haryana, Goa, Chandigarh and even Gujarat with the Aam Aadmi Party which is said to be in a strong position.
Even in the biggest state of Uttar Pradesh, the Congress has agreed to join hands with Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi party and with Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal in Bihar. Talks are currently under way for a seat-sharing pact between the Congress and Mamata Banerjee’s All India Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, one of the five biggest states in terms of the Lok Sabha seats.
The seat-sharing talks in West Bengal would have resultant effects in Assam and Meghalaya as the TMC has been demanding two seats in Assam and the Tura Lok Sabha seat in Meghalaya where the party has a strong presence led by former chief minister Mukul Sangma.
For the Congress, vacating the Tura seat should not be a very difficult choice since the party is said to be in the third position in terms of popularity after the ruling NPP and TMC.
Neither the TMC nor Mukul has made any claim for the Shillong seat where his former partner and three-time Lok Sabha member, Vincent H Pala is seeking a record fourth term. But the serious personal and political differences between Mukul and Pala, which led to the former’s departure from the Congress now stands in the way of any seat-sharing deal.
The Meghalaya Congress, on its part is in no mood to leave the Tura seat for the TMC but it ultimately has to abide by the AICC decision.
