AAP to hold meeting on February 13 to pick candidates for Goa, Gujarat, Haryana

New Delhi: After unilaterally choosing three candidates in Assam, AAP’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC) is meeting here on Tuesday to decide on Lok Sabha candidates for Goa, Gujarat and Haryana, in clear indications that it is unlikely to join hands with Congress in these states.

Already, both the parties have made it clear that they will walk the separate roads in Punjab even as the party leaderships are still exploring an alliance in the national capital where it is willing to leave Congress three out of four seats, which the latter is also understood to have accepted.

On Thursday, AAP announced the candidature of Manoj Dhanover from Dibrugarh, Bhaben Chaudhary from Guwahati and Rishiraj from Sonitpur with a “hope” that the I.N.D.I.A. alliance will accept its move. Incidentally, AAP is part of a 14-party alliance in Assam.

Sources said the AAP’s PAC, its highest decision-making body, will meet on February 13, as it believes that time is running out for them to choose candidates though it does not want to create disturbance in the I.N.D.I.A. group, which is facing another crisis with RLD speculated to leave the bloc.

Congress is not keen on leaving any seat for AAP in Haryana and Goa. In Gujarat, Congress is also not willing to accommodate AAP in Bharuch, which the latter is demanding. Delhi Chief Minister and party supremo Arvind Kejriwal had earlier announced jailed MLA Chaitar Vasava as their nominee.

A key constituency with links to late Ahmed Patel, Congress sources said it is “unthinkable” for them to leave it to anyone else. Patel’s daughter Mumtaz Patel is touring the constituency and is said to be a contender for the seat. Congress leaders said they could accommodate AAP in some other seats.

In Haryana, sources said former Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda is against accommodating AAP. Similar is the case with Goa. However, sources claimed Congress does not see AAP seriously demanding a seat in Goa and they could have an understanding soon.

Sources said both Congress and AAP leadership know that an alliance is largely possible only in Delhi and they will have to contest against each other in some states.

Kejriwal had indicated this to Congress leadership when he met party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi in January. The Chief Minister is learnt to have told them that AAP will support Congress wherever it can though they may have to fight against each other in some places.