In a big setback to the opposition INDIA bloc, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sushil Gupta on Friday announced that the party will contest all the 90 seats in the forthcoming Haryana Assembly elections. He emphasised that the party’s state unit is considering the same for the Lok Sabha elections.
The AAP leader said that they have communicated their stance on the forthcoming general elections to the national leadership of the party. Earlier, the party announced that it would contest all the Lok Sabha seats in Punjab alone.
"We will contest alone in all 90 assembly seats in Haryana. Regarding the Lok Sabha, we have communicated our stance to the national leadership of our party that we are strong and we can contest the elections in alliance and independently as well. The final decision will be taken by the party leadership,” AAP's Haryana unit chief, Sushil Gupta told news agency ANI.
#WATCH | AAP leader Sushil Gupta says, "We will contest alone on all 90 assembly seats in Haryana. Regarding the Lok Sabha, we have communicated our stance to the national leadership of our party that we are strong and we can contest the elections in alliance also and… pic.twitter.com/M2rAa5uOhv
— ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2024
The move comes amid growing differences within the opposition alliance. The INDIA bloc earlier faced a major setback after Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that there would be no alliance with the Congress for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also announced that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) would go solo in the state in Lok Sabha polls. I had no discussions with the Congress party. I have always said that in Bengal, we will fight alone. I am not concerned about what will be done in the country but we are a secular party and in Bengal, we will alone defeat the BJP," Banerjee said.
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However, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi put aside the ‘rift’ rumours within the INDIA bloc and said that the opposition alliance will fight ‘anyway together’. “BJP-RSS are spreading hatred, violence and injustice. So, INDIA formation is going to fight "anyway together," the Congress leader said.
Meanwhile, the reports of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar severing ties with the Mahagathbandhan government in the state and reuniting with the BJP raised concerns regarding the stability of the INDIA bloc alliance.