Amid the reports that the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party are heading towards an alliance to contest the Lok Sabha polls in Delhi and Haryana, the senior party leaders in Haryana are not pleased with the development.
Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his son Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda on Friday reiterated that the Congress is in a strong position in Haryana and does not need any alliance to contest the Lok Sabha polls.
The two-time former Chief Minister Hooda, while talking to the mediapersons in New Delhi said that the Congress does not need any alliance partner in Haryana and can win all 10 seats on its own in the ensuing polls.
However, he maintained that Congress is a national party. And, if the party high command decides to forge an alliance with the AAP in Haryana, the decision will be accepted…, Hooda said.
Putting forth the same views, his son, three-time Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda said, “We do not need any alliance partners in Haryana.”
“We understand the sentiments of AAP leaders, who want to defeat the BJP in the polls. We are also fighting against the BJP… But this does not mean that we need to form an alliance with them (AAP) in Haryana. We are already in a strong position in the state,” he added.
Recently, Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar had also expressed similar viewpoint of not joining hands with AAP or any other party in the state. Tanwar had said that the party can win on its own on all 10 seats in Haryana.
The Congress has been holding parleys with Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal to forge an alliance to contest on 7 seats in Delhi and 10 seats in Haryana. The Congress has reportedly offered to give one seat to AAP in Haryana out of 10.
Haryana is the home state of Kejriwal but AAP had faced a humiliating defeat in the state in last general election.
While Congress could retain only one seat i.e. Rohtak, the AAP had not only lost on all 10 seats in Haryana but most of its candidates had finished at poor fourth or fifth position in 2014 LS polls. The BJP had won on 7 seats while INLD registered victory on two seats.
The Congress leaders in the state are of the view that the AAP-Congress alliance will only ensure some gains in the AAP vote percentage, and not on the number of seats it wins. The Congress leaders have also openly said that AAP has no existence in Jatland-Haryana.
Political observers feel that even if the two parties form an alliance in Haryana, the traditional Congress’ votes are unlikely to be transferred to AAP candidates in LS polls. Jannayak Janta Party is new emerging player this time in Haryana and their plunge in electoral contest may sprung up some surprise on a couple of seats, the political analysts say.
Naveen Jaihind, AAP Haryana chief, while talking to the mediapersons on Friday said that the AAP had suggested opposition parties to unitedly fight against the ruling BJP.
If opposition parties go it alone in Haryana, the BJP will win on all 10 seats, he said.
On talks of alliance with Congress, he said that Navaratri is beginning on Saturday and we are hopeful of positive development in a day or two.
The voting to 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana will be held in a single phase on May 12.
Notably, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had last month appealed to Congress president Rahul Gandhi to form an alliance with AAP and Jannayak Janta Party for defeating the BJP in Haryana.
While the state Congress leaders had refused to form any alliance, the JJP also had declared that it will not be a party of any alliance involving Congress.
Earlier, the prospective alliance between the AAP and JJP was pushed into uncertainty with JJP offering just two seats out of 10 to AAP in the state. The offer was rejected by AAP, which had demanded equal representation to contest the polls.
The JJP is also exploring a possibility to forge an alliance with SAD led by Badals in Punjab. SAD has also announced to contest parliamentary polls in Haryana.