The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress have officially declared their alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, finalizing seat-sharing arrangements in Delhi, Gujarat, and Haryana. In Gujarat, the Congress will vie for 24 seats, while AAP will field candidates in 2 seats. In Haryana, the Congress will contest 9 seats, and AAP will present candidates for 1 seat. In Delhi, AAP will lead in four seats, and the Congress will compete in three.
Mukul Wasnik, Congress general secretary and MP, clarified, “Gujarat has 26 Lok Sabha seats. Congress will contest on 24. AAP will have its candidates on 2 seats – Bharuch and Bhavnagar. Haryana has 10 Lok Sabha seats. Congress will contest on 9. AAP will have its candidates on 1 seat – in Kurukshetra.”
For Delhi, AAP will compete in New Delhi, West Delhi, South Delhi, and East Delhi, while the Congress will vie for seats in Chandni Chowk, North East, and North West. Wasnik noted that after extensive discussions, it was decided that the Congress would contest the Chandigarh seat. In Goa, the Congress will contest both Lok Sabha seats.
No statements were issued regarding Punjab, where AAP assumed power in 2022, displacing the Congress. AAP had previously declared its intention to contest all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab. Despite their historical rivalry in Punjab and Delhi, AAP and Congress collaborated in the Chandigarh mayoral elections last month and secured victory with Supreme Court intervention.
AAP MP Sandeep Pathak, in announcing the alliance, stressed the urgency of an honest and robust alternative to address the country’s current state. He highlighted concerns such as the weakening of institutions, alleged election manipulation, the incarceration of opposition leaders, injustice to farmers, unemployment, and inflation. Pathak underscored the significance of prioritizing the nation over party interests in this alliance.