The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is likely to contest four of the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi and leave the remaining three to its alliance partner, the Congress, as part of a seat-sharing agreement being finalised by leaders of the two parties, people aware of the matter said.
After visible cracks in the I.N.D.I A alliance in many states, coordination among their leaders seems to be improving. After the coordination between SP and Congress in UP a day ago, there can be an agreement between AAP and Congress in Delhi also.
Under the agreement, Aam Aadmi Party may get a chance to contest four seats and Congress may get a chance to contest on three seats.
Due to this, a lot of enthusiasm is visible among the opposition leaders. BJP had won all seven Lok Sabha seats of Delhi in 2019 with 50 percent or more vote percentage.
In such a situation, the question will remain whether AAP and Congress together will be able to defeat BJP, it’s a matter of discussion.
Agreeing on 4:3 equation
Citing the discussions between the two sides, a Congress leader said an agreement had been arrived between the two sides on the formula and the talks on the seats to be contested by the two parties were in the final stages.
According to the information so far, there can be an agreement between Aam Aadmi Party and Congress on the formula of 4-3.
In this, Congress can get the seats of East Delhi, North-East Delhi and Chandni Chowk. At the same time, Aam Aadmi Party can contest elections from New Delhi, West Delhi, South Delhi and North-West Delhi.
The AAP had come to the negotiating table with an offer of just one seat for the Congress, citing its alliance partner’s track record in previous assembly and municipal elections.
“Congress has zero Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, it has zero seats in Delhi assembly. Out of 250 wards, the Congress won only 9 seats in the (2022) MCD election,” AAP national general secretary (organisation) Sandeep Pathak said on February 13.
Congress on five Lok Sabha seats, AAP on second position on two
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP had won a landslide victory on all seven seats. It had won every seat with about 57 percent vote percentage.
In terms of vote percentage, the victory margin of BJP’s winning candidates against their nearest opposition candidates was lowest at 23 percent in Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha constituency and maximum at 40 percent in West Delhi.
Senior BJP leader and Home Minister Amit Shah has been repeatedly saying that his aim is to get more than 51 percent vote percentage in every Lok Sabha-Assembly.
This has been proved true in Delhi. In the last elections, BJP candidates had got 51 percent or more votes in all the seven seats of Delhi. In such a situation, the big question is whether you will be able to defeat BJP even by coming together with Congress?
Can Delhi Deal Pave Way For Punjab?
Whether the Congress-AAP’s Delhi’s alliance will help break the deadlock in Punjab is not yet clear. Hope of an agreement in that state – which the AAP won off the Congress in February 2022 – were dashed after Arvind Kejriwal last week said his party would contest all 13 seats in the border state.
The AAP boss took a swipe as he did so, declaring the people of Punjab would be hard-pressed to remember any “good work” by the previous administration.
He also made it clear his party intends to field a candidate for the sole Lok Sabha seat in Chandigarh, held by the BJP’s Kirron Kher since 2014.
‘Will be successful in defeating BJP’, says Delhi Congress Chief
Delhi Pradesh Congress leader Mudit Aggarwal told the media that talks between the two parties on the issue of seats are in their final stages.
Whatever decision is taken, it will soon be revealed to the people. Congress is ready to contest on every seat.
But it is certain that with the coming together of both the parties, BJP will face tough competition on every seat. He expressed hope that this time Congress will register better success in Delhi.
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