Gujarat AAP chief’s pre-poll alliance ill-timed; Congress opposes

Ahmedabad: Gujarat AAP chief Isudan Gadhvi’s announcement on Tuesday that both parties will fight the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the state under a seat-sharing formula deemed “ill-timed” by the Congress.

The Congress also asked Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders to refrain from making such statements, claiming that alliance decisions made by the Grand Old Party’s central leadership.

Gadhvi caused a stir on Monday by announcing that the AAP and the Congress will contest the general elections in Gujarat under a seat-sharing formula because both parties are members of the opposition India alliance.

“Any pre-poll alliance with other parties will decided by Congress central leadership and the India alliance.” At the state level, such decisions not made. Such a statement (by AAP about a collaboration) was untimely. “Everyone should avoid making such statements,” Gujarat Congress chief spokesperson Manish Doshi told the media.

Gadhvi stated that both the AAP and the Congress are members of the India bloc, and that this electoral alliance will be implement in Gujarat as well. “Though the talks of a tie-up are still at the preliminary stage,” the AAP leader said, “it is certain that both AAP and Congress will fight the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in Gujarat under a seat-sharing formula.”

Notably, in both the 2014 and 2019 elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party won all 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat. The BJP brushed off Gadhvi’s claim. In the 2022 Gujarat assembly elections, the BJP retained power by winning a record 156 seats in the 182-member House, while the Congress’ tally was reduce to 17 from 77 in 2017. With five seats, the AAP made an impressive debut in Gujarat politics. Among other things, the division of opposition votes between the Congress and the AAP is thought to have aided the ruling BJP.