The Congress announced on Thursday that long-awaited seat-sharing talks with partners in the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) will start without any delay and whenever allies are ready, according “top priority” to an issue that is expected to be fractious and see protracted negotiations.

Congress leader Mukul Wasnik, who heads the five-member national alliance panel, also said that the seat talks would be held on a state-by-state basis depending of the allies’ situation in a particular province.

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”We are fully aware that we have to do it (negotiations) quickly. It is our top priority. There will be no delay. As soon as other political parties get ready, we are start talks with them at their convenient time. It is important to discuss one the basis of states as different parties have different situations in the states,” Wasnik said.

Party insiders pointed out that an early start for talks would be important as the Congress faces major hurdles in stitching an alliance in some states, particularly in Punjab and West Bengal. In both states, the Congress unit is averse to an alliance with the ruling parties — the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab and the Trinamool Congress in Bengal.

Negotiations with the Samajwadi Party can also be complicated after the Congress refused to accommodate the party in the recently concluded Madhya Pradesh elections.

The seat-sharing agreement is seen as the most crucial aspect of the INDIA arrangement, especially after several opposition leaders stressed on the importance of ensuring a one-on-one battle with the Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2024 polls.

Setting the stage,the national alliance panel members briefed Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi and general secretary KC Venugopal on the outcome of their discussion with state units of the Congress on Thursday.

“We have discussed with various state leaders (of the party) on the scope and nature of the alliance with INDIA partners, which seats we want to fight and which seats we can offer to them. We have given a detailed submission on the talks to Kharge ji, Rahul Gandhi ji and Venugopal ji. We will start the seat discussion very shortly with various parties. We will find out when they are available for talks and then proceed,” Wasnik told journalists after the meeting.

The preparations assume importance as some allies, notably the TMC, Janata Dal United, AAP and Shiv Sena (UBT) are getting increasingly impatient with the Congress’s delay.

A senior TMC leader said on Thursday that his party would not attend any joint rally of the alliance unless the seat-sharing pact is complete. “We are not going to be a party to any rally now. One such rally was held at Jantar Mantar and we sent only one representative. No rally should be held unless seat sharing is finalised.”

The TMC — which bluntly told Kharge in the last INDIA bloc meeting that in 179 days, the alliance did not achieve anything except its name — had also given the Congress a deadline of December 2023 to wrap up seat talks in West Bengal.

While that deadline is past, a TMC leader said, “We are a big-hearted party. We are committed to INDIA.”

Keeping the scope of the seat pact wide open, the Congress refused to say how many seats it wanted to fight alone. “We have not made any calculation for our own party. Our aim is to make INDIA win in the 2024 election. As and when they (partners) are available, we will start discussions seat by seat. You can understand how quickly we are starting the talks,” Wasnik added.

The five-member panel — which has former CMs Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel, senior leaders Mohan Prakash and former Union minister Salman Khurshid as its other members — held talks with all Congress units on the scope of the alliance.

Earlier in the day, in a meeting with state units, general secretaries and in-charges, Rahul Gandhi said that, “We can win the 2024 elections if the INDIA message is carried well.”

Kharge, who chaired the meeting with party general secretaries, in-charges, state units and legislative party heads, emphasised the importance of a strong alliance.

“You must be seeing that all the attacks of the BJP are on Congress and INDIA group. NDA has remained only nominal. Whereas INDIA alliance consists of major grassroots parties, who have strong cadre base and ideology,” he said.

“The BJP is pushing emotional issues to cover up the failures of its government in the last 10 years. They deliberately involve Congress in every issue. We have to unite and give a befitting reply to the lies, deceit and wrongdoings of the BJP on grassroots issues in front of the people,” he added.

In an indirect attack on the top BJP leadership, Kharge said that ego, sin and lies had a limited lifespan. “We have to respond to them by sticking to the mantra given to us by our heroes to struggle on the path of truth.”

Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury did not attend the meeting.