In the run-up to the forthcoming elections, the path for the I.N.D.I.A alliance in Haryana does not appear to be easy. Recently, having organised a training camp for leaders of its Haryana unit, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced that it would be contesting the Assembly elections alone after training the leaders of Haryana in Delhi.
On the other hand, former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has been vocal about his disapproval of the party, having stated recently that both the AAP and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) do not have the “right” to stake their claim on any Lok Sabha seat. Hooda described the unity of Opposition parties as a commendable initiative for a healthy democracy but also added that the distribution of seats is done on the basis of the voter bases that support each of these political parties. He went on to announce that the Congress party would contest all the 10 Lok Sabha seats of Haryana.
These days, the AAP is laying emphasis on organisation expansion to gain political ground in Haryana. After focusing on the state and district levels, preparations are now being made at the booth level. Due to this, party leadership recently organised a booth-level training camp for its Haryana leaders in the national capital.
Following this training camp, AAP parliamentarian Sandeep Pathak said that since the Assembly elections are due to be held in Haryana, there is “a lot of energy in Haryana and the people here want change.” “We will contest the Assembly elections alone and will contest all ten seats.:
As for former CM Hooda, he spoke about the vote percentages that both the AAP and INLD have received so far in the state, against the number of seats that they have laid claim to. “Everyone knows the number of votes the AAP received for the Adampur Assembly seat of Hisar district.” The AAP’s candidate, Satender Singh received a total of 3,420 votes, which is 2.6% of total votes.
In the last Lok Sabha elections in 2019, the BJP won all 10 Lok Sabha seats. Congress was the second-largest party. “The vote percentage figures of other political parties are not hidden from anyone,” Hooda said. “In such a situation, only Congress is going to contest elections on all 10 Lok Sabha seats,” he added. Congress, the oldest party in the country, lost on all seats in the state in both the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections. This time, the party seems to be returning to its older electoral strategies in the state in order to regain lost ground. The party also intends to form fresh pre-poll alliances in several states. These states include Haryana, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala, Jharkhand, Karnataka, West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir.
Despite Hooda’s proclamations, there are speculations that the INLD may soon announce its participation in the I.N.D.I.A alliance. Further rumblings suggest that the party might do so on the 110th birth anniversary of its founder, former Prime Minister Chaudhary Devi Lal, on 25 September. Notably, the INLD enjoys the support of 36 communities in the state. Keeping this in mind, there may a a fight over the distribution of the 10 Haryana Lok Sabha seats.
