“December 31 or else it’s over…” Who set the tone at INDIA alliance meeting?

At the fourth INDIA alliance meeting in New Delhi, most of the leaders have voiced concerns over the delay in seat sharing understanding, claim sources. The seat-sharing issue is considered to be the most contentious issue amongst the 28 parties that attended the meeting on Tuesday. Reminding that in the Mumbai chapter of the alliance meeting, it was decided to close the seat-sharing model by September 30 but that deadline was breached due to the last assembly elections in 5 states, sources say TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee gave the ‘clarion’ call “no more time to waste”.

“TMC leader Derek O’Brien spoke on behalf of the party first and he had laid down what Mamata Banerjee was most concerned about. And then she started. Didi was very firm when she gave the deadline of December 31. She clearly said if by December 31, the seat-sharing understanding doesn’t get completed then she may not engage with this alliance talks anymore. In as many words Mamata Banerjee said either it happens by December 31 or it will be over”, said a senior leader who was inside the meeting room. He added that seated next to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee didn’t “mince her words”.

Confirming the same another leader who was part of the meeting said that Mamata Banerjee’s proposal of making Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge was received by the leaders, seconded by Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal but “when it came to her December 31 deadline, no one could disagree”.

“It was not a googly, as is being discussed in some media channels, rather Mamata Banerjee’s December 31 deadline was a full toss that you to play with a straight bat. Either you hit a six or you have to defend yourself. Didi has set the tone” added the leader.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee along with others including Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, and Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav had urged the INDIA alliance leaders, principally the Congress in the Mumbai chapter of talks to get started with the seat-sharing talks. Soon after that on September 13, during the first INDIA alliance coordination committee it was discussed how at the local state level seat-sharing talks will be conducted amongst the appropriate stakeholders instead of making it a group discussion with others who are not associated with a particular state. Still, the seat-sharing talks have not been initiated as yet. “Some of the leaders have this doubt in their mind if Congress was overconfident of winning most of the 5 state elections and if that would have helped them in bargaining better with parties like AAP, TMC, and SP,” said a senior leader from Northern part of India, who too was part of the meeting.

Most of the leaders in the meeting have agreed to go for a one is to one fight against BJP, leaving little scope for vote fragmentation. States like West Bengal, Kerala, Delhi, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh have been on the list where seat sharing could become a tricky task.

“The meeting went well and we will fight it together to defeat BJP because it is democracy at stake. Seat sharing will be completed soon” said SP chief Akhilesh Yadav after the meeting. He however, during the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections had accused the Congress of betrayal claiming the grand old party hadn’t entertained the seat sharing with his party for the state polls.