“If push comes to shove regarding the number of seats they (the AAP) are willing to concede, the Congress, in the national interest and as the larger partner, is willing to discuss the prospect of a 4-3 seat-sharing arrangement,” said another leader.
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The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will meet Friday to chalk the way forward regarding their alliance for the Lok Sabha elections.
According to sources from both parties, seat-sharing forms the core agenda of the meeting — the second of its kind this week — and is expected to be followed by another where the particulars of seats preferred by either side are scheduled to be discussed.
While the Congress, sources said, was expected to make a strong case for five out of the seven Parliamentary constituencies in the capital, the AAP would push for seat-sharing in other states as well.
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This, even as Congress sources complained regarding the AAP’s “unilateral” decision to field its jailed Gujarat MLA, Chaitar Vasava, from the Bharuch Lok Sabha seat in the upcoming polls.
“We will, on the basis of our performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, demand five seats where the party had claimed the second-highest vote share. Since these are general elections, according to us, lack of seats at the Assembly-level does not apply, and any comparison is valid only with the party’s performance in the previous Lok Sabha polls,” said a senior Congress leader.
“If push comes to shove regarding the number of seats they (the AAP) are willing to concede, the Congress, in the national interest and as the larger partner, is willing to discuss the prospect of a 4-3 seat-sharing arrangement,” said another leader.
Three AAP leaders who attended Monday’s meeting — national general secretary (organisation) Sandeep Pathak and Delhi ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj — will attend the meeting. AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha is also likely to be in attendance, sources said.
Rajya Sabha MP and Congress general secretary Mukul Wasnik, National Alliance Committee (NAC) member Ashok Gehlot, former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Delhi and Haryana in-charge Deepak Babaria, and Delhi PCC (Pradesh Congress Committee) chief Arvinder Singh Lovely are likely to represent the Congress.
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AAP sources said that a discussion on seat-sharing will take place. “The leaders will discuss seat-sharing not just in Delhi but in other states as well,” a source said.
When asked about the AAP’s inclination to discuss seat-sharing in other states, a Congress source said there was still some time left for that. AAP Delhi convenor Gopal Rai, on Tuesday, had said that the party wants to contest with its alliance partners in five states — Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Goa and Gujarat.
Out of these five states, AAP does not have a presence in the Haryana state Assembly. It has 62 out of 70 MLAs in Delhi; 92 out of 117 in Punjab; four out of 182 in Gujarat, and two out of 40 in Goa. “What basis is there to forgo seats in Haryana, for instance, where the Congress not just has its own cadre but massive support from the grassroots? As it is, their (the AAP’s) decision to unilaterally announce a candidate for Gujarat has not gone down well with the Congress,” the source quoted above said.
During Monday’s meeting between the two parties, AAP leaders had expressed the possibility of a 4-3 seat-sharing formula, staking claim in particular to the northeast Delhi seat. Congress sources said the AAP also wants to contest from Chandni Chowk, Northwest and West Delhi.
Jatin Anand is an Assistant Editor with the national political bureau of The Indian Express. With over 16 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is a seasoned expert in national governance, electoral politics, and bureaucratic affairs. Having covered high-stakes beats including the Election Commission of India (ECI), intelligence, and urban development, Jatin provides authoritative analysis of the forces shaping Indian democracy. He is an alumnus of Zakir Husain Delhi College (DU) and the prestigious Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai, where he specialized in Print Journalism.
Expertise
High-Stakes Beat Coverage: Throughout his decade-and-a-half career, Jatin has covered some of the most sensitive and influential beats in the country, including:
The Election Commission of India (ECI): Monitoring electoral policy, reforms, and the conduct of national and state polls.
National Security & Intelligence: Reporting on the internal mechanisms and developments within India's security apparatus.
Urban Development: Analyzing the policies and bureaucratic processes driving the transformation of India’s cities.
National Political Bureau: In his current role, he tracks the intersection of policy and politics, offering deep-dive reporting on the Union government and national political movements.
Academic Credentials:
Zakir Husain Delhi College (DU): Alumnus of one of Delhi's premier institutions.
Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai: Specialized in Print Journalism at India's most prestigious journalism school. ... Read More
