As the Haryana Assembly elections near, the Congress party is dealing with complex alliance negotiations, particularly with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). AAP has reportedly demanded around 20 seats as part of the alliance, according to sources who spoke to India Today TV. This demand was presented during the first meeting of Congress’s Central Election Committee (CEC) today.
Congress’s Strategic Dilemma
The CEC meeting marked a significant step for Congress in its preparations to challenge the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Haryana. However, it also highlighted the difficulties the party faces, especially in balancing the demands of potential allies with its own strategic goals.
Despite being buoyed by anti-incumbency sentiment against the BJP, Congress faces the tricky task of deciding how many seats to allocate to its allies, including AAP.
AAP’s Justification and Congress’s Hesitation
AAP’s request for 20 seats is based on its performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections, where it won a seat in alliance with Congress. AAP argues that this entitles them to a fair share of assembly seats. However, Congress’s state unit is hesitant, noting that the INDIA bloc, to which both parties belong, is a national coalition and not a local arrangement.
Rahul Gandhi’s Approach to the Alliance
Despite these challenges, Congress leadership, including Rahul Gandhi, is open to exploring an alliance with AAP. Rahul Gandhi has reportedly urged party leaders to consider accommodating AAP and to return with a proposal that could include a few seats for them as part of the INDIA alliance.
Past alliances between Congress and AAP, particularly in Delhi, have been rocky, often leading to a strained relationship. It is likely that Congress leadership will push to reduce AAP’s demand from 20 seats to a more modest number, possibly two or three. At the same time, Congress will need to manage expectations from other allies, like the Samajwadi Party, which is calling for Congress to act as the ‘big brother’ in the coalition and show greater generosity in seat-sharing.
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AAP’s Stance on the Alliance
Meanwhile, AAP MP Sanjay Singh welcomed reports that Rahul Gandhi is interested in forming an alliance with AAP ahead of the Haryana Assembly elections. Singh emphasized that the primary goal is to defeat the BJP.
Haryana, which has 90 Assembly seats, will go to the polls on October 5, with results to be declared on October 8.
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