With months left for the much-awaited 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress is actively engaging in discussions for seat-sharing arrangements in both Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
The grand old party has now put forth ambitious proposals for each state, aiming for significant representation in the upcoming elections, sources told a media house.
In Uttar Pradesh, the Congress is gearing up for a robust electoral strategy by pitching for 40 of 80 Lok Sabha seats. In Bihar, Congress is eyeing an ambitious goal of contesting 10 to 12 seats, in a state with 40 Lok Sabha constituencies.
Sources have also said that Congress is meticulously preparing a list of constituencies where it believes it holds a strong and competitive position.
This list, outlining the targeted 40 seats, is currently in the preparation stage and is expected to be formally submitted for consideration in a Congress meeting scheduled to take place on Thursday.
The grand old party contends that, even in previous Lok Sabha polls, it has garnered decent traction in Uttar Pradesh. Drawing parallels with past alliances, where the Samajwadi Party allocated a substantial share to the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), the Congress is keen on securing a sizeable chunk of seats in the upcoming elections, sources said.
The seats being considered by Congress in UP include:
Amroha
Saharanpur
Lakhimpur Khiri
Bijnor
Moradabad
Lucknow
Raebareli
Amethi
Barabanki
The Congress aims to leverage its presence in constituencies with a significant minority voter base, which also happen to be favorable areas for the Samajwadi Party.
Likewise, in Bihar, Congress is eyeing an ambitious goal of contesting 10 to 12 seats in the state that has 40 Lok Sabha constituencies.
The targeted seats in Bihar include:
Katihar
Kishanganj
Purnia/Katihar (either one)
Aurangabad
Bhagalpur
Buxar
Sasaram
Motihari/Valmikinagar (either one)
Nawada
Patna
On Thursday, Congress is holding a crucial brainstorming session of top leadership with respective state presidents, in-charges and general secretaries of the party.
The crucial meeting will be presided over by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, while Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi will also be present.
(With inputs from agencies)