Congress and AAP Inch Closer to Alliance in Haryana

With only four days remaining until the nomination deadline for the Haryana Assembly elections, the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are in the final stages of negotiating a seat-sharing agreement. Both parties, members of the INDIA bloc, are focusing on allocating constituencies for the upcoming October 5 polls. 

Sources close to the negotiations reveal that AAP is particularly interested in contesting the Kalayat, Pehowa, Guhla (SC), and Jind seats, along with a few other urban constituencies. The party's interest in these areas stems from its performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where it led in four of the nine Assembly segments under the Kurukshetra parliamentary constituency.

AAP's strongest showing was in Kalayat, where it secured a lead of 14,437 votes. The party is staking a claim to this seat, citing the Congress party's three consecutive losses there in 2009, 2014, and 2019. Similarly, AAP led by 8,055 votes in Guhla, 879 votes in Pehowa, and 11,657 votes in Shahbad.

The negotiations have been complicated by recent political developments. In Guhla, for instance, sitting MLA Ishwar Singh recently switched from the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) to the Congress, creating a potential conflict over seat allocation. Raghav Chadha, AAP's Rajya Sabha MP leading the negotiations, expressed optimism about the alliance talks. "Discussions are ongoing in a positive environment," he stated. "I am hopeful that we will reach a good conclusion in the interest of Haryana." 

Meanwhile, the Congress has already announced candidates for several constituencies. In its latest list, the party named nine more candidates, including Brijendra Singh for Uchana Kalan and Mohit Grover for Gurugram. Other notable nominations include Ashok Arora for Thanesar and Kuldeep Sharma for Ganaur.

The potential alliance has drawn criticism from political opponents. Former Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar of the BJP took a swipe at the negotiations, suggesting that the Congress had "accepted defeat" by seeking an alliance. "That's why it's going in for an alliance. We had also allied under compulsion. A tie-up implies it's unable to move forward on its own," Khattar remarked.

As the October 5 election date draws near, both parties are under pressure to finalize their agreement. Chadha emphasized that a decision would be made before the September 12 nomination deadline. "If we don't agree or if there is no win-win situation, we will leave it," he added, highlighting the delicate nature of the negotiations.

The outcome of these talks could significantly impact the political landscape in Haryana, potentially altering the balance of power in the state assembly. As voters await the final candidate list, all eyes are on the Congress and AAP to see if they can forge a successful alliance in time for the crucial polls.