J&K, Bihar, Maharashtra OK For INDIA Seat-Sharing. Bengal An Issue: Sources

The INDIA alliance is moving closer to a national seat-sharing agreement amenable to all 28 members of the bloc, sources told NDTV Friday, as the clock ticks down to one of the most crucial elections in the country's history.

The INDIA alliance is moving closer to a national seat-sharing agreement amenable to all 28 members of the bloc, sources told NDTV Friday, as the clock ticks down to one of the most crucial elections in the country's history. A final decision is likely by the end of the month, sources said.

The push to conclude these talks as early as possible comes from concerns the Bharatiya Janata Party may try to pre-empt the opposition's efforts at unification by calling for an early election.

A deal - between over two dozen parties that have squabbled, made-up and squabbled again with each other over the past several elections - has been a big talking point since the bloc was formed. The focus will be on 'one-on-one' contests, i.e., picking one INDIA candidate - from the party with the best chance of defeating the BJP - for each seat, and counting on the others' full support on the campaign trail. The idea is simple - stem the division, or fracturing, of votes.