AAP’s Bhagwant Mann softens stand on alliance with Congress; signals possibility ahead of Lok Sabha Elections

Weeks following his firm dismissal of the prospect of aligning with the primary Opposition Congress in Punjab for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Bhagwant Mann appeared to have eased his stance on the matter on Monday.

Both the Congress and the AAP are members of the Opposition INDIA bloc formed to counter the Narendra Modi-led BJP in the Lok Sabha polls.

Responding to media inquiries about the potential alliance between AAP and Congress, CM Mann stated, “We’ll have clarity in the next INDIA bloc meeting. The decisions will transpire after the discussions held in that meeting, which is scheduled soon.”
Mann emphasized, “We are fighting for the nation. The preservation of the Constitution ensures the safeguarding of the country and political parties.”

Addressing the Punjab Congress’s resistance to an alliance with the AAP, citing potential harm to the former, the CM remarked, “Otherwise, what condition is the Congress in?”
In a taunt directed at the Congress, he added, “In Delhi and Punjab, mothers could narrate the shortest story to their children: ‘Once there was Congress.’”
Despite Mann’s jibes at the Congress, observers perceived his stance as a “softening” on the alliance issue.

Previously in September, Mann had categorically stated to reporters that the AAP was fully capable of contesting the parliamentary polls independently. He had highlighted AAP’s success in the 2022 Punjab Assembly polls, securing 92 seats out of 117.
At that time, Mann’s remarks had followed his tourism minister Anmol Gagan Maan’s opposition to any alliance with the Congress.

The Punjab unit of the Congress has vehemently opposed the proposition of aligning with the AAP. Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa has reiterated the resistance from the party members, emphasizing that elections are fought by the cadre.
Former Congress minister Pargat Singh and another ex-minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu have publicly voiced opposition to such an alliance.

The Punjab Congress’s discontent with the AAP government arose after vigilance inquiries were initiated against several of its leaders, including Ashu, who spent a few months in jail. However, Congress MPs have shown willingness to collaborate with the ruling party for the Lok Sabha polls.

The AAP anticipates clarity on seat-sharing by the middle of this month, disclosed a senior party leader. “Whether in Punjab or Delhi, we’ll approach discussions on seat-sharing with the Congress with an open mind,” the leader remarked, prioritizing the larger goal of saving the country and the Constitution.

During his address to the AAP national executive and national council members, Delhi CM and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal emphasized contesting well on the seats secured in the seat-sharing arrangement.

Regarding the number of seats the AAP is willing to share with the Congress in Delhi, a party leader indicated previous discussions around a 4-3 or 5-2 seat-sharing arrangement (for AAP and Congress, respectively, out of Delhi’s 7 seats). However, the talks didn’t culminate as planned due to discussions on seat-sharing in Haryana diverging from expectations. This year, the scenario seems different, and there’s a stronger commitment from alliance partners.

AAP leaders clarified that the seat-sharing talks would solely pertain to the Lok Sabha polls. In Kejriwal’s address, he affirmed AAP’s participation in the Haryana Assembly polls, expressing aspirations to form the government there.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, both AAP and Congress failed to secure any seats in Delhi, where all seven seats were won by the BJP. In Punjab, out of 13 seats, the Congress secured eight seats, with the AAP securing one, while the BJP and SAD, allied as part of the NDA, secured two seats each.