NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday announced an electoral alliance with Congress for the January 18 mayoral polls in Chandigarh in what seems to be the precursor for a larger tie-up between the INDIA bloc partners. The tie-up could set the tone for the Lok Sabha polls with AAP in power in Punjab and Delhi.
Making the announcement at party headquarters, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha said, “INDIA Alliance’s first encounter with BJP on January 18 for the Chandigarh mayoral election will be the curtain raiser of 2024 and it will set the tone for all future INDIA vs BJP electoral contests.”
As per the arrangement arrived at by both parties, AAP will contest for the post of mayor and Congress for the posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor. “The INDIA bloc will contest the Chandigarh municipal elections with full strength … The winning streak of the alliance will not be limited to Chandigarh only. It will go from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Manipur to Mumbai,” Chadha asserted.
“I believe that this election will prove another important thing that when INDIA alliance contests elections together, ek aur ek do nahi, ek aur ek gyaraha hote hain (union is strength),” he said.
On the ongoing seat-sharing talks with Congress for Lok Sabha polls, Chadha said a decision will be taken keeping in view the “election strategy of the Alliance” and accordingly it will be decided where parties will fight together and where they will fight alone.
Asked about the recent meeting of Delhi CM and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday, he said, “A lot of issues were discussed. The resolve to fight elections together as an alliance only gathered more strength.”
Making the announcement at party headquarters, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha said, “INDIA Alliance’s first encounter with BJP on January 18 for the Chandigarh mayoral election will be the curtain raiser of 2024 and it will set the tone for all future INDIA vs BJP electoral contests.”
As per the arrangement arrived at by both parties, AAP will contest for the post of mayor and Congress for the posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor. “The INDIA bloc will contest the Chandigarh municipal elections with full strength … The winning streak of the alliance will not be limited to Chandigarh only. It will go from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Manipur to Mumbai,” Chadha asserted.
“I believe that this election will prove another important thing that when INDIA alliance contests elections together, ek aur ek do nahi, ek aur ek gyaraha hote hain (union is strength),” he said.
On the ongoing seat-sharing talks with Congress for Lok Sabha polls, Chadha said a decision will be taken keeping in view the “election strategy of the Alliance” and accordingly it will be decided where parties will fight together and where they will fight alone.
Asked about the recent meeting of Delhi CM and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday, he said, “A lot of issues were discussed. The resolve to fight elections together as an alliance only gathered more strength.”
