In a sharp critique of the Congress party, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Haryana in-charge Sushil Gupta accused the Congress of missing a crucial opportunity to form an alliance in the state, which could have altered the political landscape. Speaking at a party meeting in Haryana called to discuss the poll results, Gupta stated that had there been a coalition in the recent elections, a joint government could have been formed, significantly limiting the BJP’s success.
According to Gupta, if AAP and Congress had contested together, the alliance could have secured up to 60 seats in the assembly, leaving the BJP with only 30. He indirectly took aim at Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda, criticizing the party’s overconfidence and unwillingness to collaborate, saying, “Excessive arrogance and enthusiasm can be harmful.”
The meeting, held to analyze AAP’s performance in the state elections, saw party members reviewing the reasons for their defeat and strategizing for future elections. Gupta emphasized that AAP will now contest all upcoming elections in Haryana, including the Panchayat, Municipal Council, and Corporation elections, on its own.
In a move to solidify AAP’s organizational structure in Haryana, Gupta announced plans to strengthen the party across the state. He met with candidates from constituencies under the Bhiwani-Mahendragarh and Rohtak Lok Sabha regions, as well as state-level office bearers, to discuss the way forward for the upcoming assembly elections. Party members pledged to build a stronger AAP presence in Haryana by participating in local elections and intensifying efforts at the grassroots level.
“We will ensure that AAP becomes a formidable force in Haryana politics,” Gupta said, expressing confidence in the party’s potential to succeed in future elections.
The Aam Aadmi Party’s commitment to contesting all future elections independently underscores its determination to establish a solid foothold in Haryana’s political landscape. He said that during the meetings the party members vowed to work hard in upcoming Block, Municipal Corporation, and Municipal Council elections, aiming to create a strong organizational base across the state.
The decision not to form an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also proved costly. Analysts suggest that had Congress allied with AAP, the party could have won several additional seats if the alliance was formed. In Assandh, Congress candidate Shamsher Gogi lost by a slim margin of 2,306 votes to BJP’s Yoginder Rana, while AAP candidate Amandeep Jundla captured 4,290 votes, which could have changed the result. In Dabwali, Congress’s Amit Sihag lost by only 610 votes to BJP’s Aditya Devilal, while AAP’s Kuldeep Singh Gadrana received 6,606 votes. Though AAP once again failed to open its account in Haryana, its candidates received a total of 1.79% of the votes, enough to affect the outcomes in multiple constituencies.