Congress, AAP announce alliance in Delhi, elsewhere; all eyes now on Bengal
New Delhi: I.N.D.I.A. allies Congress and AAP on Saturday announced seat-sharing arrangements, for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, in Delhi, Haryana, Gujarat, Goa and Chandigarh after months of negotiations that displayed a spirit of accommodation.
The latest deal, which came days after inking an agreement with the Samajwadi Party for Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, has given a new vigour to the Congress to approach Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee for a deal in West Bengal, for which it may be willing to concede a seat in Meghalaya.
The negotiations saw Congress conceding its “emotionally attached” Bharuch to AAP, which in turn agreed to withdraw its candidate from South Goa where it has a sitting MP. Congress chose to leave one seat for AAP in Haryana while the latter chose to support the ally in Chandigarh.
At the same time, both parties “mutually decided” to fight each other in Punjab keeping the political circumstances in the state while leaving a decision on Assam—AAP has unilaterally announced three candidates—to the respective state units to negotiate.
According to the arrangement announced by Congress’ National Alliance Committee Convenor Mukul Wasnik, AAP will fight four seats – New Delhi, South Delhi, East Delhi and West Delhi—in Delhi, leaving the remaining three—North East, North West and Chandni Chowk—to Congress.
Initially, the AAP was offering East Delhi but Congress was not enthusiastic about contesting both East and North East together. Sources said the Congress is planning to field a woman, a Dalit, and a general category candidate in these seats.
Of the 26 seats in Gujarat, AAP will contest Bharuch and Bhavnagar after Congress found merit in AAP’s claim on Bharuch even as it raised its “emotional connect” with the seat which was nurtured by late Ahmed Patel. His family had earlier raised objections and party leaders, including Rahul Gandhi acknowledging it, had amplified it.
“We have taken a decision after looking into the circumstances. I am sure all Congress workers will abide by the decision,” Wasnik said.
Patel’s daughter Mumtaz Patel, who was working in the constituency after Congress’ nudge earlier, posted on ‘X’, “deeply apologise to our district cadre for not being able to secure the Bharuch Lok Sabha seat in alliance. I share your disappointment. Together, we will regroup to make Congress stronger .We won’t let Ahmed Patel’s 45 years of legacy go in vain.”
In Haryana, where there are ten seats, Wasnik told a joint press conference along with AAP’s Sandeep Pathak, Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj and Congress Deepak Babaria and Arvinder Singh Lovely, that the Congress has left Kurukshetra for AAP.
During negotiations, AAP also conceded its claim on South Goa, a sitting Congress seat, where it had announced a sitting MLA as its candidate. Congress will now fight both the seats in Goa as well as in Chandigarh where both parties together won the mayoral polls after Supreme Court intervention.
Pathak, AAP General Secretary (Organisation), said the BJP’s “calculations” about the Lok Sabha election will “collapse” with the Congress-AAP announcement.
Asked whether people would be confused about AAP and Congress fighting against each other in Punjab while contesting together elsewhere, Pathak said, “people are intelligent.”