Differences over seats in other states cloud AAP-Congress alliance in Delhi

Congress sources said the “AAP’s insistence” on getting seats in other states did not bode well for the alliance. AAP sources said the Grand Old Party dragging its feet on “accommodating the AAP” on these seats was doing more harm than good.

In the meantime, while the Congress has finalised a panel of probables for Delhi’s seven seats, the AAP, sources said, is scheduled to discuss names to be fielded in the Capital as well as other states, including Goa and Haryana, at a meeting of its Political Affairs Committee Tuesday.

“Talks around the finalisation of the alliance are stuck at the AAP’s demand for the Bharuch Parliamentary seat in Gujarat, the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat, and one seat in Haryana; why should giving up seats in other states to the AAP dictate a 4-3 seat-sharing agreement far away in Delhi?” a senior Congress leader said, adding that the final call would be taken by the party’s high command “soon”.

A senior AAP leader said, “We have proposed a seat-sharing arrangement; yes, it has seats in other states which is best not revealed right now. The Congress was supposed to come back to us with a counter offer, which is yet to arrive. Not just us, alliance partners across the country waited for similar clarity before opting out…time is of essence.”

After announcing the AAP’s decision to go it alone in Punjab, at a gathering in Ludhiana on Saturday, Kejriwal, a day later in Tarn Taran, triggered speculation by saying that the people of Delhi had decided to allot all the seven LS seats in the Capital to the AAP.

On Monday, AAP Delhi convenor Gopal Rai said, “AAP is part of INDIA alliance…But, we believe that it is getting too late now…there is a need to make decisions fast on seat-sharing…” On Kejriwal’s statement, Rai said, “…He meant that BJP is going to lose all the seven seats in Delhi…”

AAP national spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj, at another press conference, said, “I believe the AAP will…win all seven seats even if the polls take place right now…” He further said alliance talks with Congress were still on.

Delhi Congress president Arvinder Singh Lovely said, “We are committed to the alliance but, at the same time, prepared to contest the Lok Sabha elections in the Capital. The Congress is the only party to have conducted large public meetings on five seats already. We are not only firmly with the INDIA alliance but also ready to fight the BJP.”