Just hours after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's declaration that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) would independently contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in the state, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has echoed a similar sentiment in Punjab. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said that his party has "nothing to do with Congress" in the state. He, however, mentioned that AAP is still ready for an alliance with Congress in Delhi. He said that the AAP is poised to secure victory in all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab.
"Aam Aadmi Party has already shortlisted about 40 candidates for the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab. Additionally, the party is actively engaged in conducting a comprehensive survey to identify potential candidates for all 13 Lok Sabha seats," Bhagwant Mann said on Wednesday.
Despite an ongoing alliance in the Municipal Corporation elections in Chandigarh, Mann suggested AAP's potential expansion of Lok Sabha seats to 14, citing Chandigarh's LS seat as additional to Punjab's Lok Sabha seats.
Emphasising AAP's resolute stance on solo participation in Punjab, Mann reiterated, "We have nothing to do with Congress in Punjab. It stands at 13-0 in favour of AAP."
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal reportedly approved Punjab's unit proposal for the party to contest the upcoming general elections independently. Last week, Mann had already stated that AAP would win all 13 seats in Punjab but avoided confirming any potential alliance with the Congress.
TMC To Battle Solo In West Bengal
Earlier in the day, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared that her party would go solo in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
"I have no relations with the Congress... we will fight alone (and) will decide on an all-India level after the election," said Banerjee, emphasizing her lack of engagement with the Congress regarding pre-election agreements.
Expressing dissatisfaction, Banerjee criticised Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and his 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra,' scheduled to enter Bengal, accusing him of not informing her about the visit.
On Tuesday, Banerjee criticized the Congress' "unjustified" demand for 10-12 Lok Sabha seats in her state. Despite offering two seats, she revealed that the Congress demanded 10-12, prompting Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh to warn against "unjustified bargaining."
Asserting her strength, Banerjee directed Trinamool leaders in Birbhum and Murshidabad districts to plan for the combined five Lok Sabha seats, including Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's constituency of Berhampore.
Banerjee, having enjoyed electoral success against the BJP in recent years, is one of the few opposition leaders who secured a significant win over the saffron party in the last Assembly election. In 2019, Trinamool won 22 seats, slightly less than the 34 from five years ago. Meanwhile, the BJP increased its seats from two to 18.