AAP’s ‘don’t underestimate’ message to Congress amid impasse in alliance talks for Haryana polls

New Delhi: Negotiations between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress Negotiations for a possible alliance for the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections have reached a deadlock. While the AAP is adamant on its demand for 10 Assembly seats, the Congress has refused to concede more than 5-7 seats, according to sources. Amid the current uncertainty over the alliance, the AAP has warned the Congress not to underestimate the party.

AAP national secretary (organisation) Sandeep Pathak said during a press conference that the party was ready to contest all 90 seats in the Haryana Elections With all its might and those who underestimate the party will regret it later. Haryana goes to polls on October 5 and the last date for filing nominations is September 12.

“We are fully prepared and waiting for the party’s order. As soon as we get the order, we will announce everything. We are ready to fight the elections with all our might in all the seats and those who underestimate us will regret it in future,” Pathak said.

AAP leader calls alliance with Congress ‘inappropriate and selfish’

Further, AAP leader Somnath Bharti said that the AAP should contest all 90 seats in the Haryana Assembly elections on its own strength. Somnath Bharti said that the Haryana BJP is on its death bed and the Congress has been facing massive infighting and hence he stressed that the AAP should contest all 90 seats without forming an alliance with the Congress.

“Before the AAP-Congress alliance is signed in Haryana, the AAP must assess the effectiveness of a similar alliance formed in Delhi during the Lok Sabha elections. While my national coordinator, Arvind Kejriwal “Ji did tours for all three Congress candidates, senior leaders and AAP cabinet ministers campaigned for all three Congress candidates but the AAP candidates, especially me, did not get any support, especially from the Delhi Congress and local leaders,” the AAP leader claimed in X.

“AAP supporters are not in favour of such a selfish and maladaptive alliance and AAP should contest all the seats in Haryana, Punjab and Delhi on its own. BJP is on its death bed, Congress is facing massive infighting and Haryana being Kejriwal ji’s home state, Aam Aadmi Party should contest all the 90 seats on its own strength to give the first honest non-BJP/non-Congress government in Haryana,” he posted.

Dissent in Congress over the alliance

An internal discord has also emerged in the Congress over the possible alliance. Some leaders, like Captain Ajay Singh Yadav, have expressed concerns over the alliance with the AAP, citing its limited base in Haryana.

“AAP has no base in Haryana and I think why should we give them a presence? But if there is any obligation, then it is for the high command to decide whether they want to strike a deal with them in other states as well,” Congress leader Captain Ajay Singh Yadav said when asked about talks on an alliance between Congress and AAP for the 2024 Haryana elections.

Member of Congress and leader of the opposition Raul Gandhi had expressed interest in exploring the possibility of an alliance with AAP for the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections during the party’s Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting held in the national capital on Monday.