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As the Congress party inches closer to securing 100 seats in the Lok Sabha, the grand old party has embarked on a strategic campaign to woo support from parties outside the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and even those within its ranks.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has reportedly reached out to leaders from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)), Biju Janata Dal (BJD), and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) (LJP). These overtures aim to strengthen the INDIA alliance, which is currently trailing the NDA by approximately 50 seats.
The Congress's outreach efforts have extended to Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde, whose Shiv Sena is projected to win 10 seats. The INDIA bloc hopes to persuade Shinde to rejoin their alliance, particularly in light of the upcoming assembly elections.
Despite the Congress's attempts to expand its support base, the JD(U) has indicated that it is unlikely to shift its loyalty. Notably, Nitish Kumar was instrumental in forming the INDIA bloc before returning to the NDA earlier this year.
Congress leaders remain optimistic about their chances of crossing the halfway mark of 272 seats with the support of non-NDA parties. However, they have yet to receive a positive response to their overtures from Naveen Patnaik's BJD.
Source: As Congress nears 100 seats, Kharge makes overtures to NDA parties, works the phone