Congress-AAP seat-sharing deal in Delhi on the cards
The Congress and AAP, the two key constituents of the Opposition INDIA bloc, are inching closer to clinch a seat-sharing deal in Delhi, Gujarat and Haryana for contesting the coming Lok Sabha elections, well-placed sources indicated here on Thursday.
Parleys between AAP and the Congress over reaching an understanding on seat sharing in Delhi and some other states for the coming general elections are in final stages and the decision is likely to be announced soon, sources said.
Delhi has seven Lok Sabha seats and the buzz is that AAP of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal may get to contest four seats and the Congress may field its candidates on three.
The firm indication of an electoral understanding between AAP and the Congress in Delhi came on Thursday from Delhi minister Atishi who said at a press conference that the “alliance between AAP and the Congress in Delhi is on the verge of finalisation. The two parties may make an official announcement in a day or two.”
Sources in AAP indicated that the party may field candidates from the South Delhi, West Delhi, North West Delhi and New Delhi seats, while the Congress candidates may contest from the Chandni Chowk, East Delhi and North East Delhi constituencies. At present, the ruling BJP holds all the seven Lok Sabha seats from Delhi.
The Congress may give one seat to AAP in Haryana and two in Gujarat. While the Haryana seat is likely to be either Gurugram or Faridabad, those in Gujarat include Bharuch and Bhavnagar. Former senior Congress leader and strategist Ahmed Patel’s son and daughter were the contenders for the Bharuch seat.
AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal said the talks over the alliance were delayed and hinted at fresh developments in the next one or two days.
In Gujarat, the Congress may face a rough patch as Ahmed Patel’s son Faisal has expressed his unhappiness over the move to leave the Bharuch Lok Sabha seat for AAP. In a post in Gujarati, he said if Bharuch Lok Sabha seat is allotted to AAP, neither he nor the “conscientious workers” of the Congress will support the AAP candidate. If AAP and the Congress, who came together in Chandigarh mayoral polls for the first time by fielding a common united candidate, enter into an alliance ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, it would surely serve as a morale booster for the INDIA bloc which has nearly two dozen parties in its fold with an aim to take on the ruling BJP. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, meanwhile, said that he would be joining Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Agra on Sunday, strengthening the perception that INDIA bloc constituents are getting over their differences and finally the alliance will be able to present a united platform to take on the BJP in the electoral tussle ahead.
