Formal now, Cong, AAP ally in 4 states

The Congress and Aam Aadmi Party, who are both part of the INDIA bloc of opposition parties, on Saturday formally announced their seat-sharing formula for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. The parties have agreed to share the seats and support each other’s candidates in the union territory of Chandigarh and the four states of Delhi, Haryana, Gujarat and Goa.

- GAURAV VIVEK

As reported earlier on February 22, in Delhi, where AAP had dislodged the Congress from power in 2013 and has formed three governments since, four of the seats would be contested by AAP while the grand old party will step back and contest three. While AAP would contest New Delhi, East Delhi, South Delhi and West Delhi, the Congress would field its candidates from North East Delhi, Chandni Chowk and North West Delhi (SC reserved).

Apart from this Congress would contest the lone seat of Chandigarh and both the seats of Goa. It has left Kurukshetra in Haryana for AAP. In Gujarat, the Congress would contest 24 seats while Bharuch and Bhavnagar will be contested by AAP.

The two parties had earlier decided not to have an alliance in Punjab as they did not want to antagonise their respective state units which were against any such pact. Incidentally, Punjab is the second state after Delhi to have been wrested by the AAP from the Congress.