In a significant development for the INDIA bloc amid the ongoing seat-sharing deadlock in the national capital ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress are poised to formally announce their alliance for the upcoming electoral battle on Saturday.
Confirming the seat-sharing pact with the AAP in Delhi, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh informed ANI on Saturday that the alliance would be officially unveiled later in the day.
Addressing speculations about differences in seat allocation in Delhi, the Congress general secretary in-charge of communications stressed that his party was always keen on forming an alliance with the AAP.
“Today, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress will officially announce a seat-sharing deal for Delhi (for the Lok Sabha polls). There were talks about the Congress hesitating and not being interested in an electoral alliance (with the AAP). However, as I have consistently stated, these things take time,” explained the Congress leader.
All seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital are presently held by the BJP.
A joint press conference of both parties is scheduled for 11:30 am in the national capital, according to information provided by the Congress leader.
Representing the ruling party in Delhi, AAP general secretary Sandeep Pathak, along with Delhi ministers Saurabh Bhardwaj and Atishi, are set to participate in the joint press conference, as per an official release.
From the Congress side, Mukul Wasnik, chairman of the alliance committee formed by Congress, the party’s Delhi president Arvinder Singh Lovely, and its Delhi-Haryana in-charge, Deepak Babaria, will also be present at the joint press meet.
In other developments, following the ruling TMC’s announcement that it would contest all 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, Ramesh stated on Saturday that doors were still open for an alliance.
“Discussions are ongoing. Our doors are always open for the TMC. Both Mamata Banerjee and the TMC have expressed their desire to strengthen INDIA, and the common goal of all Opposition forces is to defeat the BJP (in the LS polls). There may be occasional disagreements and intense discussions during such talks. But we hold Mamata Banerjee in high regard as one of our leading Opposition figures,” said Ramesh.
The breakthrough in seat-sharing in the national capital came after several rounds of discussions this week and a meeting at Congress heavyweight KC Venugopal’s Delhi residence on Thursday.
Sources indicate that both parties have reached an agreement for a four-three alliance, with the AAP contesting four seats and the Congress fielding candidates for three.
AAP national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had mentioned on Wednesday that talks on the alliance were delayed but hinted at new developments in the next one or two days.
In the 2004 elections, the Congress won 6 seats while the BJP secured 1 seat. In 2009, the Congress swept all 7 seats in the national capital.
Additionally, it was reported that the Congress is likely to offer one seat to the AAP in Haryana, and in return, the AAP will support the Congress in the battle for the prized Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat.
The AAP had a sweeping victory in the 2015 Assembly elections in the national capital, securing 67 out of the 70 seats. Similarly, in 2020, the Arvind Kejriwal-led party won 62 out of 70 seats in the Assembly.
In BJP-ruled Gujarat, the AAP is said to have requested three seats from the Congress during the ongoing seat-sharing discussions. However, the final agreement on this matter is still pending.
