 |
|
The upcoming Haryana assembly elections have witnessed a significant development as the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) failed to reach a pre-poll alliance agreement. This decision, which came after initial talks, was revealed by Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda in an exclusive interview with HT's Kumkum Chadha.
Hooda highlighted that despite the limited ground presence of the AAP in Haryana and their lack of significant vote share in previous elections, the Congress was open to the alliance. In fact, the Congress even offered AAP a seat in the Lok Sabha elections. However, the breakdown in talks occurred when the AAP announced their candidates for the assembly elections while negotiations were still ongoing.
The Congress leader attributed the failure of the alliance to the AAP's unilateral actions and reaffirmed their confidence in their ability to secure victory in the elections without the support of the AAP. He emphasized that the Congress party is united and capable of achieving success on its own in Haryana.
In addressing rumors regarding reluctance from his father, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the leader of opposition, Deepender Hooda clarified that Rahul Gandhi was in favor of the alliance. He emphasized that the state Congress unit was open to the arrangement, and the decision to announce their candidates before concluding discussions was solely the AAP's choice.
He also refuted claims of infighting within the Haryana Congress, stating that the party is united under the leadership of Kharge ji, Rahul ji and Sonia ji. Hooda pointed to the Lok Sabha elections as evidence, where despite similar allegations of division, the Congress workers demonstrated unity and achieved significant results.
Source: Haryana elections: Why did Cong-AAP alliance talks fail? Deepender Hooda reveals