Congress and AAP Discuss Seat-Sharing for Haryana Assembly Polls
New Delhi [India], September 3: Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have begun discussions on sharing seats for the upcoming Haryana assembly elections. This could continue the alliance they had during the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year.
Congress Committee for Talks
The Congress has set up a three-member committee for the seat-sharing talks. The committee includes:
- Ajay Maken, Chairman of the party’s screening committee for Haryana
- Deepak Babaria, AICC in-charge of Haryana
- Bhupinder Singh Hooda, former Chief Minister of Haryana
Party General Secretary KC Venugopal will oversee the committee’s work.
Seat Allocation
Congress sources revealed that the party is willing to allocate 3-5 seats to AAP and one seat to the Samajwadi Party in Haryana’s 90-member assembly. These discussions follow a suggestion from Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, who emphasized the importance of contesting elections as the INDIA bloc to avoid splitting votes.
AAP’s Response
AAP MP Sanjay Singh welcomed the suggestion, stating, “We welcome it. Our priority is to defeat the BJP.” He added that the final decision would be made after consultations with AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal.
Preliminary Talks
Deepak Babaria mentioned that talks with AAP are in the preliminary stage. “We are exploring it. If there is any further development in the next 2-3 days, we will let you know,” he said.
Pending Seats
Congress has also formed a sub-committee to decide on the pending seats in Haryana. This panel includes Madhusudan Mistri, Ajay Maken, and Deepak Babaria, who will hold separate talks with senior Haryana leaders Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Randeep Singh Surjewala, and Kumari Selja. Meetings with these leaders are expected on Thursday.
About 24 seats are still pending, with no agreement reached in the Central Election Committee meeting.
AAP’s Demands
AAP sources stated that they have demanded 10 seats from Congress. Talks have been held between AAP leader Raghav Chadha and KC Venugopal.
Rahul Gandhi’s Schedule
Rahul Gandhi is set to campaign in Jammu and Kashmir on September 4 and in Maharashtra on September 5. He will leave for the United States on the night of September 6-7 and is expected to return on September 13-14. He will join the seat-sharing talks online if needed.
Election Dates
Jammu and Kashmir will hold elections in three phases: September 18, 25, and October 1. Haryana’s polling is on October 5, with votes counted on October 8.
Doubts Revealed
Congress -: Congress is a major political party in India. It has been one of the oldest and most influential parties in the country.
AAP -: AAP stands for Aam Aadmi Party. It is a political party in India that focuses on fighting corruption and promoting good governance.
Seat-Sharing -: Seat-sharing means that two or more political parties agree to support each other by dividing the seats they will contest in an election. This helps them avoid splitting votes.
Haryana Assembly Polls -: Haryana Assembly Polls are elections held to choose representatives for the state of Haryana’s legislative assembly. These representatives make laws and decisions for the state.
Ajay Maken -: Ajay Maken is a senior leader in the Congress party. He has held various important positions in the government and the party.
Deepak Babaria -: Deepak Babaria is another leader in the Congress party. He is involved in organizing and planning for the party.
Bhupinder Singh Hooda -: Bhupinder Singh Hooda is a prominent Congress leader and former Chief Minister of Haryana. He has a significant influence in the state.
Samajwadi Party -: Samajwadi Party is another political party in India. It mainly operates in the state of Uttar Pradesh but sometimes collaborates with other parties in different states.
Rahul Gandhi -: Rahul Gandhi is a senior leader in the Congress party. He is the son of Sonia Gandhi and the grandson of Indira Gandhi, both of whom were important leaders in India.
Sanjay Singh -: Sanjay Singh is a leader in the Aam Aadmi Party. He is involved in the party’s strategies and decision-making.
Jammu and Kashmir -: Jammu and Kashmir is a region in northern India. It has a special status and is known for its beautiful landscapes.
Maharashtra -: Maharashtra is a large state in western India. It is known for its capital city, Mumbai, which is the financial hub of India.
US -: US stands for the United States of America. It is a country in North America and one of the most powerful nations in the world.
October 5 -: October 5 is the date when the Haryana assembly elections will be held. People will vote on this day.
October 8 -: October 8 is the date when the results of the Haryana assembly elections will be announced. We will know who won on this day.
