Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: As the Haryana Assembly elections draw near, the Congress party finds itself navigating complex alliance negotiations, particularly with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Sources reveal that during the first meeting of the Congress Central Election Committee (CEC), a top leader presented a list from AAP demanding approximately 20 seats.
This CEC meeting marks a significant move for Congress as it strategizes to unseat the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Haryana. However, the session underscored the difficulty of balancing alliance dynamics while securing the party’s interests.
Confident of leveraging the anti-incumbency sentiment against the BJP, Congress is optimistic about its prospects in Haryana. Nonetheless, the challenge lies in determining the number of seats to offer potential allies like AAP, which could complicate their campaign strategy.
According to insiders, AAP’s request for 20 seats stems from its recent performance in the Lok Sabha elections, where it won a seat in collaboration with Congress. AAP argues that this victory warrants a proportional share of assembly seats. However, Congress’s state unit remains hesitant, pointing out that the INDIA bloc, which both parties are part of, functions as a national coalition rather than a local partnership.
Despite these hurdles, Congress leadership, including Rahul Gandhi, is reportedly open to exploring an alliance with AAP. Gandhi has urged party leaders to consider a proposal that could allocate a few seats to AAP under the INDIA alliance framework.
Past attempts at collaboration between Congress and AAP, especially in Delhi, have been marked by friction and have not yielded successful partnerships. Given this history, Congress may aim to reduce AAP’s seat demand from 20 to a more feasible two or three, aligning with the directives of the party high command. Additionally, Congress must also address expectations from other allies, like the Samajwadi Party, which urges Congress to play a more generous role in seat-sharing within the coalition.
In response to the ongoing discussions, AAP MP Sanjay Singh welcomed reports indicating that Rahul Gandhi is interested in forming an alliance with AAP for the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections. Singh emphasized that the primary goal remains to defeat the BJP.
Haryana, with its 90 Assembly seats, is set to go to the polls on October 5, with results expected on October 8.
