After Mamata, Bhagwant Mann's snub to Congress: ‘AAP not in alliance in Punjab’

Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said the AAP is not in alliance with the Congress in Punjab.

Updated on: Jan 24, 2024, 15:53:58 IST

By HT News Desk

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In a double whammy, shortly after Mamata Banerjee's going solo announcement, Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said the AAP is not in alliance with the Congress in Punjab. “Kitni baar kehlaoge mujhse (how many times will you make me say the same thing? Desh mein Punjab banega hero, Aam Aadmi Party 13-0," Bhagwant Mann said at a time the Congress was busy controlling the damage in West Bengal.

AAP is not with the Congress in Punjab, Bhagwant Mann said.

In a move, not unforeseen, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday announced that Trinamool will go solo in West Bengal. She said the seat-sharing offer that Trinamool proposed has been rejected by the Congress. Mamata also said she was not informed about Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, entering West Bengal tomorrow.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said seat-sharing talks are going on for West Bengal. "INDIA bloc can't be imagined without Mamata ji. Rahul Gandhi too said the same yesterday. Mamata Banerjee is a key leader of the alliance. She said she wants to defeat the BJP and with that thought we are entering the state," Jairam Ramesh said downplaying the disagreement between the two parties as 'speed breaker', 'red lights' which does not end a journey.

AAP, Congress tussle in Punjab

The AAP versus Congress has been going on for some time in Punjab even though AAP came into an alliance with the INDIA bloc in Delhi and for the Lok Sabha election 2024. After much deliberations, AAP and the Congress sealed the alliance for Chandigarh mayoral polls.

While talks between the leaders were on, Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday made it clear that AAP will field candidates in all 13 Lok Sabha seats – without having any truck with the Congress. For 13 Lok Sabha seats, names of 40 probable have come up. "There are three to four probable candidates per Lok Sabha constituency. Surveys will be conducted and we have kept winnability as the criterion (for fielding a candidate),"Bhagwant Mann said.

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