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Haryana assembly election: AAP demands 10 seats in alliance talks with Congress; BJP reacts
BJP leader Anil Vij said that the Congress lacks the strength to contest the Haryana elections alone and is “cosying up” to AAP as a result.
The Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is seeking 10 seats for the upcoming Haryana assembly elections, while the Congress is willing to concede seven.
The two parties in the INDIA bloc are having tough talks about sharing seats, with both sides negotiating hard. As of Tuesday, the Congress' central election committee has approved candidates for 66 out of 90 seats.
AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha has held two rounds of talks with senior Congress leader KC Venugopal. They are expected to meet again in the next day or two, PTI reported.
“The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is demanding 10 seats. However, Congress is ready to give only seven out of the total of 90 seats. AAP has claimed one seat from each of the 10 Lok Sabha constituencies,” PTI quoted sources saying.
After a Congress central election committee meeting, AICC General Secretary Deepak Babaria stated that the alliance talks are in the early stages, with various options being explored.
“Out of 90 seats, 49 were discussed yesterday and today, the conclusions of the screening committee regarding the remaining 41 seats were put before the CEC... Earlier 34 seats (candidates) were finalised and today 32 out of 41 seats have been finalised,” Babaria told reporters.
Regarding whether wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia might be fielded by the Congress in the elections, he said clarity would come by Thursday.
Earlier, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh welcomed reports that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is interested in an alliance with AAP for the Haryana polls on October 5. Singh emphasised that defeating the BJP is a priority for all opposition parties.
He added that any decision about an alliance will be made with the approval of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal, who is currently in jail in connection with excise policy cases.
Reports suggest that during a Congress Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting on Monday, Gandhi showed interest in forming an alliance with AAP for the Haryana assembly polls.
Reacting to the seat negotiations between AAP and Congress, BJP leader Anil Vij said that Congress lacks the strength to contest the Haryana elections alone and is “cozying up” to AAP as a result. He criticised the ongoing alliance talks for the October 5 polls.
“The Congress does not have the strength to fight the elections in Haryana on its own, which is why they are now aligning with AAP,” said the former Haryana home minister.
