With the Haryana Assembly election date change, there is still a month left. Voting was initially scheduled for October 1st but has been moved to October 5th. Like BJP and Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party also announced that it would contest the Haryana elections alone.
Sunita Kejriwal is leading Aam Aadmi Party's campaign, seeking votes in the name of her husband, Arvind Kejriwal. During rallies, she appeals to people to give their 'son' a chance. She also highlights how the BJP government has put Haryana's son in jail on false charges.
After missing out in 2019, Congress doesn’t want to leave any stone unturned this time. Rahul Gandhi, who declared they would defeat BJP even in Gujarat, is putting his all into the campaign - hence, he is taking feedback from Haryana Congress leaders. This topic has been seriously discussed in Congress' election committee meetings.
Following Congress' internal discussion, the Aam Aadmi Party also responded. Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh welcomed Rahul Gandhi's proposal but mentioned that the final decision on the Haryana election alliance will be made by Arvind Kejriwal. Currently, Arvind Kejriwal is in Tihar jail due to the Delhi liquor scam. He has been granted bail by the Supreme Court in the ED case but is still awaiting bail in the CBI case.
Note that the electoral alliance talks between Congress and Aam Aadmi Party are currently limited to Haryana, not Delhi. After AAP announced it would contest the Delhi Assembly elections alone, Congress is also preparing independently. Both sides are currently firm on their positions.
Excluding Punjab, in several states including Delhi, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party have contested elections under the INDIA Bloc banner. How far the alliance discussions for the Haryana election go remains to be seen - the pros and cons of such an alliance will come later.
Indications of AAP-Congress Alliance in Haryana
Apart from Delhi, Congress had contested elections in Haryana, Gujarat, Goa, and Chandigarh with Aam Aadmi Party. However, success was only achieved in Chandigarh, where Congress' Manish Tewari was elected to Parliament. After the results, Aam Aadmi Party limited their alliance with Congress to the Lok Sabha elections and then broke it off.
During Congress' central election committee meeting, Rahul Gandhi sought feedback from fellow leaders on an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party for the Haryana elections. He asked Congress leaders to provide feedback. Generally, whenever Congress begins talks for an alliance with a regional party, local party leaders stand firm against it.
We saw this during the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal, where Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary refused to ally with Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress and eventually lost his seat. He has since lost his influence within Congress.
Also Read: Haryana Elections: What's Rahul Gandhi's Strategy Behind the Alliance with AAP?
Senior Congress leader Kumari Selja from Haryana hasn't yet expressed her recent views, but a month ago, she was not in favor of any electoral alliance. In an interview, Kumari Selja stated that Congress is a strong player in Haryana and would contest the elections alone. Similarly, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also said that Aam Aadmi Party will contest all 90 seats in Haryana independently.
However, the situation or mindset may have changed, and AAP leader Sanjay Singh is expressing different views. On Rahul Gandhi's feedback request in Congress' meeting, Sanjay Singh stated, "I welcome Rahul Gandhi's statement... Our priority is to defeat BJP... However, the final decision will be made with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's consent."
While AAP's views on Haryana might have shifted, their stance on Delhi remains the same as during the Lok Sabha elections for Punjab. Whenever talks between the two parties occurred, AAP made it clear to Congress leaders that Punjab was not part of the alliance discussions.
The Relationship Remains, Mindsets are Evolving
Delhi Congress leaders have never been seen ready for an electoral alliance with AAP. During the Lok Sabha elections, former state president Arvinder Singh Lovely resigned in protest of the AAP-Congress alliance in Delhi and rejoined BJP. A similar scenario was observed during Sheila Dixit's tenure.
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Aam Aadmi Party emerged in politics by campaigning against Congress and formed its first government with Congress' support. But due to Arvind Kejriwal's resignation after 49 days, the government fell.
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In 2019, Kejriwal initiated the alliance, but Delhi Congress leaders' reluctance resulted in no alliance. Kejriwal aimed to ally in both Delhi and Haryana, but it didn’t materialize.
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In 2024, Congress appeared more eager for an alliance. Congress wanted alliances in Delhi, other states, and Punjab, but Kejriwal didn’t agree. Delhi Congress leaders' old attitudes were evident.
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For the first time, the initiative came from Congress for Haryana, and it was from Rahul Gandhi, not a regional leader. Aam Aadmi Party hasn't refused, but Sanjay Singh mentioned that the final decision will be made by Arvind Kejriwal.
Overall, there's been little change in the regional leaders' attitudes towards each other, but Rahul Gandhi now wants to play a front-foot role in politics. The enthusiasm from the Lok Sabha election results and becoming the Leader of Opposition has boosted his confidence.
That's why Rahul Gandhi, who kept a distance from Arvind Kejriwal for many years, has taken the initiative for an alliance with Aam Aadmi Party himself. This indicates a shift from his previous stand on this matter.
Any Possibilities Regarding Delhi?
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Both Congress and Aam Aadmi Party will benefit from an electoral alliance in Haryana. AAP could establish a foothold in Arvind Kejriwal's home state, and Rahul Gandhi could gain a new support system, similar to the advantages obtained from alliances with Akhilesh Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav.
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Currently, AAP and Arvind Kejriwal need more support compared to Congress. Any seat gains in Haryana would be a significant blow to BJP, similar to the impact in Gujarat. Considering AAP's current performance in Haryana, it seems unlikely they can achieve much independently.
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If the alliance experiment succeeds in the Haryana Assembly elections, AAP might reconsider their stance on Delhi - much needed by both parties.
