Pushing for 4 of 7 seats in Delhi, AAP puts best foot forward, pitches ministers, MLAs

“His name was suggested from the New Delhi seat and he was asked for his opinion, but he has refused to contest,” said a senior leader. The New Delhi seat is held by BJP’s Meenakshi Lekhi at present.

Bharadwaj is a three-time MLA from Greater

The name of another AAP minister has also been suggested for the same seat, while an MLA is being considered from another seat.

According to Congress sources, both parties were expected to finally zero in on a 4-3 seat-sharing formula in the Capital based on the winnability of the candidate on each of the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi. “While the Congress has already constituted a panel of potential candidates on each seat, the AAP has also made a list of potential candidates. Both these panels will be assessed on the basis of winnability and the candidates decided will be given tickets,” a senior Congress leader said, requesting anonymity.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said Tuesday that the talks between the two parties are at the “final stage”, and an announcement on seat-sharing will be made “very soon”.

The parties have held two formal meetings to discuss the alliance, the last of which was held in January. Since then, sources said, several discussions between the top leadership of both parties have taken place.

On Tuesday, when Kejriwal was asked about the alliance talks during a press conference, he said, “Several rounds of discussion have taken place, things have reached the final stage in this respect, our alliance with them will be announced very soon…”

With regard to seat-sharing in other states, he said, “We are discussing other states as well… discussions are progressing well and are at an advanced stage… everyone who wants to save India is welcome in the INDIA Alliance…”

Delhi has seven Lok Sabha seats. In 2014 and 2019, all these seats were won by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates.

Alliance talks were derailed for a couple of days after AAP national general secretary (organisation) Sandeep Pathak announced at a press conference last week that AAP was “willing to give Congress one seat” if the alliance materialises.

He had also said that based on “merit”, the grand old party did not deserve “even a single seat” in the Capital. Sources said AAP leaders told the Congress that the inordinate delay in finalising the contours of the alliance was behind the “outburst”.

Asked about the thaw in the association between both parties following a lunch at Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi’s residence on Sunday, another senior Congress leader said , “There was no issue at all; it is a fact that talks (regarding the alliance) are at an advanced stage. The issue is not regarding seat-sharing in Delhi or even the number of seats — we may get four or they may (get them) depending on the winnability of the candidate proposed — but the seats the AAP is claiming in Gujarat.”

AAP has announced candidates from two seats in Gujarat. Both parties have decided to contest separately in Punjab.