AAP-Congress seat-sharing formula: Kejriwal’s party offers 3 Delhi seats for 1 in Gujarat, 3 in Haryana, says report

Ahead of Lok Sabha polls, the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are working to come up with a seat-sharing formula for key states including Delhi and Punjab. The two parties held a meeting for the same on Monday. 

The meeting was attended by senior Congress leaders Mukul Wasnik and Ashok Gehlot, members of the seat-sharing committee, AAP leader Sandeep Pathak, and Delhi Cabinet ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj. In addition to Wasnik and Gehlot, Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely and senior party leaders Salman Khurshid and Mohan Prakash also took part.

Even though there has been no official announcement about the seat sharing by the two parties, several media reports suggested that the AAP is offering three Lok Sabha seats from Delhi to the Congress. In return, the Arvind Kejriwal-led party is eyeing 1 Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat, 3 in Haryana, and 1 in Goa, reported India Today citing sources.

The Aam Aadmi Party claimed that the decision on seat sharing will come through further meetings. Earlier, PTI had reported citing sources that the AAP has expressed its willingness to contest the Lok Sabha polls in states such as Gujarat Haryana, and Goa. 

Several Congress leaders oppose tie-up with AAP

Amid discussions between the two parties regarding the seat-sharing formula, the Congress is facing the opposition of its leaders against a tie-up with the AAP. Congress units in Delhi and Punjab are opposed to any truck with the AAP, according to the PTI report.

The AAP leaders remained tight-lipped over the deliberations. However, the sources said both sides discussed the seats they are willing to contest in Delhi.

The AAP wants to contest four of the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, whereas the Congress is willing to field its nominees from the New Delhi, Chandni Chowk, and North East constituencies, sources told PTI.

"We had a very good meeting. Senior AAP leaders attended the meeting to hold discussions with us on behalf of Arvind Kejriwal. The National Alliance Committee (NAC) formed by the Congress president held discussions with the AAP leaders and a final decision will be taken later," Wasnik said after the meeting.

"We had in-depth discussions regarding seat sharing and on various other topics. We will meet again after a few days and the final discussion on seat sharing will take place. We will give a final shape to the seat-sharing plans later. We will contest the election together with vigorous preparations and defeat the BJP," Wasnik, convenor of the Congress's NAC, said.