Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann categorically stated on Wednesday that his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will not form an alliance with the Congress in the state for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Mann reiterated his confidence, asserting that the AAP aims to secure victory in all 13 parliamentary seats in Punjab.
This announcement from Mann coincided with West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) Supremo Mamata Banerjee's declaration that her party would not forge an alliance with the Congress for the parliamentary polls in West Bengal. The AAP is currently part of the 28-party INDIA bloc, which includes the Congress, TMC, and the CPI(M)-led Left Front.
While Mann made it clear that the AAP is not considering an alliance with the Congress in Punjab, discussions between the two parties are ongoing regarding seat sharing in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Goa, and Gujarat for the upcoming general elections. Interestingly, the AAP has already entered into an alliance with the Congress for the Chandigarh mayoral poll.
Responding to questions about the alliance, Mann reiterated his belief that the AAP would secure all 13 seats in Punjab, stating, "Punjab will become a hero in the country, and the AAP will win 13-0 in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls." When asked about the AAP's alliance for the Chandigarh mayoral poll and the possibility of contesting the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat, Mann hinted at the prospect, saying, "Then you can make it 14," indicating a potential expansion of their electoral strategy.
Despite the Chandigarh mayoral alliance, Mann clarified that the AAP would not align with the Congress in Punjab. He revealed that discussions had already taken place regarding the AAP's likely candidates and volunteers for Punjab's 13 Lok Sabha seats, with 40 potential names emerging. Mann emphasised that winnability would be a key criterion in selecting candidates.
The Chief Minister, along with several AAP leaders, has consistently opposed any electoral alliance with the Congress for the Lok Sabha polls. In the 2019 elections, the Congress secured eight out of Punjab's 13 seats, while the Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP won two each, and the AAP claimed one seat.
Following the AAP's assumption of power in 2022, Mann became the Chief Minister, and by polls were conducted for the vacant Sangrur Lok Sabha seat, which was won by Simranjit Singh Mann of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar). Additionally, AAP's Sushil Kumar Rinku won the Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat in a bypoll after it fell vacant due to the January 2023 demise of Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary.
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