The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have arrived at a seat-sharing understanding in Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, and Chandigarh, in a bid to defeat the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha election, they said on February 24.
In a joint press conference addressed by leaders of both parties, Congress leader Mukul Wasnik said that after prolonged discussions, the two parties have have arrived at a 4:3 deal for the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi. The AAP will contest from the New Delhi, West Delhi, South Delhi, and East Delhi seats, while the Congress will contest from the Chandni Chowk, Northeast Delhi, and Northwest Delhi seats.
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“In Gujarat, the AAP will contest from Bharuch and Bhavnagar seats, while the Congress will contest from the remaining 24 seats. In Haryana, the AAP will contest from Kurukshetra, while Congress will contest from the remaining nine seats,” Mr. Wasnik said. The Congress will be contesting both seats from Goa and the single seat from Chandigarh, as a part of the alliance deal.
No alliance in Punjab, Assam
“After taking into account all situations and deliberations, we have decided this between the two parties. I have full confidence that each Congress worker will honour this decision and AAP workers will also follow this agreement,” Mr. Wasnik said.
Leaders from the two parties had announced last week that they had reached a “mutual understanding” not to enter into any alliance in Punjab, and will both be fielding their own candidates for all thirteen seats. Asked why the two parties had not joined hands in Punjab, Mr. Wasnik said that “special circumstances” exist in the State. In Assam as well, the AAP has announced that it will be contesting three seats.
‘In the country’s interest’
Once bitter rivals, the two parties are now both part of the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) that was formed in an attempt to unite the Opposition and take on the BJP. “Today the country needs a strong alternative. This alliance has been formed in the interest of the country. The BJP’s calculations will go wrong because of the alliance,” AAP general secretary (organisation) Sandeep Pathak said. He added that the AAP has entered into an alliance with the Congress as it believes that the “country is important and the party secondary”.
The AAP has announced that Botad MLA Umesh Makwana will be its candidate from the Bhavnagar Lok Sabha seat, while Chaitar Vasava will contest from Bharuch. The Bharuch seat had become a bone of contention between the two parties as AAP was keen on the seat, while the late Congress veteran Ahmed Patel’s son Faisal Patel was also vocal about wanting to contest from the seat.
On Wednesday, the Samajwadi Party and the Congress had announced a seat sharing agreement for Uttar Pradesh, in which the Congress has been allotted 17 out of 80 seats. In Madhya Pradesh, the SP will contest the Khajuraho seat and support the Congress in the remaining 28 seats.
