Talks between Congress and AAP regarding seat sharing for the Haryana assembly elections have been ongoing for more than a week but have yet to reach a conclusion.
Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has signaled its readiness to declare its candidates for all 90 seats in the Haryana assembly elections, should the ongoing alliance talks with Congress fail to conclude today. Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh emphasized on Monday that the party is fully prepared for the elections and has already finalized its candidate list. His comments echoed earlier statements made by AAP Haryana president Sushil Gupta, who mentioned that the list would be released by Monday evening if no pre-poll alliance is reached with Congress.
Singh stated, “Sandeep Pathak and Sushil Gupta have clarified that we are prepared. As soon as we get approval from the leadership, we will announce the candidates and move ahead. AAP is a national party with strong roots in Haryana.”
The Congress leadership’s response to these remarks is still awaited.
Gupta had earlier pointed out that if the alliance isn’t decided by today, AAP will move forward independently. Despite over a week of discussions on seat-sharing, the negotiations between Congress and AAP have yet to yield a final agreement. Leaders from both parties remain optimistic, with talks described as progressing in a “positive direction.”
AAP leader Raghav Chadha affirmed on Sunday that discussions are taking place in a “good atmosphere,” with both parties aiming to form an alliance that serves the interests of Haryana. However, he also noted that the alliance will only proceed if it is mutually beneficial.
With the nomination deadline set for September 12, both parties are racing against time to finalize the seat-sharing arrangement. Simultaneously, there are internal reservations on both sides, with AAP MLA Somnath Bharti warning against an alliance based on previous experiences, while certain Congress leaders in Haryana have also expressed skepticism.
While AAP had initially demanded 10 seats, Congress is reportedly willing to offer only five to six, leading to a deadlock in negotiations.
Amidst this, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has dismissed the potential alliance as inconsequential, with former chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar claiming that the alliance indicates the opposition’s acceptance of defeat.
Haryana will go to the polls on October 5, with the results being announced on October 8. The elections are expected to focus on several key issues, including anti-incumbency sentiments, the Agnipath recruitment scheme, and various protests in the state, particularly the farmers’ and wrestlers’ movements.
