Congress-AAP
may team up for Lok Sabha polls, finally
Punjab, Delhi, Gujarat & Goa on table
Contrary to reports, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is inclined to enter into an electoral alliance with the Congress Party in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections. Primary talks between the leaders of two parties indicate the emergence of a positive outcome within the next one week.
The AAP is willing to share seats with the Congress in Punjab and Delhi. The Congress had won 8 Lok Sabha seats out of 13 in Punjab. However, its old party loyalist Parneet Kaur, Patiala Lok Sabha MP, practically joined the BJP along with her husband Capt Amrinder Singh. The Congress won't be able to win this seat. The Congress suffered another setback when it lost Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat to AAP in a crucial bye-poll in May last. Its sitting Lok Sabha MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary necessitated the bye-poll which AAP won and defeated the Congress by a huge margin in a four -cornered contest where BJP came fourth after SAD-BSP combine emerged third.
The Congress leadership wanted 8 seats but may settle for 6 seats leaving 7 for AAP which is the ruling party in the state. Similarly, the AAP is willing to give two seats to Congress out of seven in Delhi. The Delhi local unit is keen for three seats as the AAP-Congress combine may emerge stronger together.
The BJP has been winning all seven seats in Delhi due to division of votes of the Opposition and massive Modi wave in 2014 & 2019.
However, AAP offer is with a caveat; it wants a pie in the cake in Gujarat where it polled 13% votes in the Assembly polls. The AAP blames the Congress for not entering into an alliance in Gujarat and giving seats on platter to the BJP. AAP has a vote bank in Goa and a couple of areas in Maharashtra too. It wants a foot-hold in Haryana too. Those privy to talks say that the mood is positive in both the parties and deal may be clinched
