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The upcoming Haryana Assembly elections are set to witness a crucial alliance between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress. While both parties have expressed their desire for a coalition, negotiations regarding seat-sharing arrangements are ongoing, leaving the final decision to be made before the nomination deadline of September 12th. The alliance, if materialized, aims to challenge the BJP's dominance in the state, where the party has secured back-to-back victories in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The AAP, which contested one seat and lost in the last Lok Sabha polls, is hoping to contest 10 seats in the state Assembly elections. However, the Congress, which won five seats in the previous Lok Sabha elections, is reluctant to concede more than seven seats to its potential ally. Despite differences in desired seat numbers, both parties have emphasized the positive environment of their ongoing discussions, indicating a shared objective of defeating the BJP in Haryana. The alliance is part of the INDIA bloc, a coalition of opposition parties that united during the general elections to counter the BJP.
Rahul Gandhi, now Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has urged the Congress to continue the alliance in Haryana, recognizing the state's significance as a BJP stronghold. While the AAP leader, Raghav Chadha, has maintained a positive outlook on the negotiations, there are internal concerns within the party regarding the alliance. Somnath Bharti, an AAP MLA, has argued for the party to contest all 90 seats independently, echoing a similar sentiment expressed by Arvind Kejriwal earlier this year. However, the party's stance has shifted in the past eight months, with the ongoing alliance talks suggesting a change in strategy. Bharti, citing the ineffective alliance with the Congress in Delhi during the Lok Sabha elections, has expressed reservations about the potential alliance in Haryana, highlighting the lack of support provided to AAP candidates by the Congress.
The AAP's Plan-B, in case the alliance fails to materialize, involves contesting all 90 seats independently. The Congress has already announced 32 candidates for the elections, including prominent figures like Olympian Vinesh Phogat and former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. The upcoming elections in Haryana are anticipated to be a close contest, with the alliance between the AAP and the Congress posing a significant challenge to the BJP's dominance. The outcome of the alliance talks and the final decision on seat-sharing arrangements will play a crucial role in determining the political landscape of the state.
Source: "If No Win-Win...": AAP Leader On Haryana Alliance Talks With Congress