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Updated: Dec 20, 2018 07:31 IST

With Assembly elections in five states over, the Congress and some Opposition parties are set to initiate the preliminary seat-sharing talks in key states.

Big states such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal may see electoral joint ventures between different Opposition combinations and talks on the contours of the partnership have already begun or soon will.

A Congress leader familiar with the developments in Bihar said party chief Rahul Gandhi is likely to discuss the issue with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) president Upendra Kushwaha and Jitin Ram Manjhi of the Hindustan Awam Morcha . The four are likely to meet in Delhi, maybe even as early as Thursday.

On Wednesday, the Congress also started talks with its long-time partner in Maharashtra, the Nationalist Congress Party of Sharad Pawar.

It is also expected to discuss partnerships with the Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh and the National Conference in Jammu & Kashmir.

Asked about the talks with other opposition parties on state-specific alliances , Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said everybody realises the importance of minimising and preventing vote division to defeat the BJP.

“These are early days. We are in December. You have to wait for the story to unfold in January and February. I think it is premature to come to any conclusion yet. The Congress is certainly keen and ready to be part of any secular, non-communal, reasonable alliance, understanding, adjustment provided it is respectable ...and thirdly is effective in preventing a vote division ,” Singhvi said.

CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury is also keen to minimise the fragmentation in Opposition vote. “We have asked our state units to give their views on the issue,” he said. The recently concluded Central Committee meeting also concluded that its main task is to “defeat the BJP alliance; increase the strength of the CPI(M) and the Left in the Lok Sabha ; and ensure that an alternative secular government is formed at the Centre.”

A top CPI(M) leader indicated that preliminary talks will start in Bihar for seat adjustment with the Congress and RJD. Similarly, it is in touch with the Congress for a seat adjustment in West Bengal and with the DMK in Tamil Nadu. The DMK has already articulated its intent of forming a partnership with the Congress and the CPI(M) in the state.

“The party will also fight in a seat or two in Uttar Pradesh, but we don’t see much chance of a seat adjustment with Mayawati (of the Bahujan Samaj Party) or Akhilesh Yadav (of the Samajwadi Party)”, Yechury added.

Uttar Pradesh could prove a puzzle for the Congress, with speculation (but no confirmation) that the BSP, SP, and the Rashtriya Lok Dal are close to finalising an alliance minus the Congress. Regarding Uttar Pradesh, Singhvi pointed out that “These are hard issues of logical concentration. They take time...if things don’t turn out, we’re a national party and we’ve fought elections on our own (before).”

“...Just 3 months are left before the poll. The Opposition parties must reach an understanding and showcase unity before they project their anti-BJP narrative... seat adjustment will be extremely difficult in UP and West Bengal,” said Kay Benedict, a Delhi-based political commentator.