AAP-Congress alliance unlikely in Haryana, Kejriwal's party may contest solo
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress Party are reportedly on the verge of abandoning talks for a potential alliance in the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections. According to reports, the AAP is planning to contest independently on 50 assembly seats. This development follows a disagreement over seat distribution, with AAP demanding 10 seats while Congress offered only seven initially and later reduced it to two or three.
Internal disagreements within Congress over AAP alliance
The possibility of a seat-sharing pact with AAP has reportedly caused divisions within the Congress. This "intense disagreement" even led to Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the Haryana Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader and former chief minister, walking out of a party meeting, the Indian Express reported. The state assembly has 90 members, with Congress winning 31 seats and the AAP failing to obtain any in the previous election.
Congress's confidence and AAP's potential impact on election results
Now, after matching the BJP with five seats each in the recently-held general elections, Congress believes it has a good chance in state elections. However, an independent run by the AAP could divide the opposition vote and favor the BJP. This scenario will be reminiscent of the 2019 elections, when the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), led by Dushyant Chautala, spoiled Congress's chances with its 10 seats from Jat-dominated areas.
AAP's past performance and future prospects in Haryana
The AAP's record in Haryana has been poor since its election debut in the state in 2014. The party's finest performance occurred in the recent general elections, when it contested from the Kurukshetra constituency in alliance with the Congress but lost to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by a slim margin. Notably, AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal hails from Siwani village in Haryana's Bhiwani district.
