AAP Signals Potential Alliance With Congress In Gujarat For Lok Sabha Elections 2024

In response to Gadhvi's comments, the Congress stated that the party will follow the direction of the Central leadership.

Isudan Gadhvi, the Gujarat unit president of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), on Monday, revealed that his party and the Congress were considering a seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections since both parties are constituents of the newly formed opposition INDIA coalition. In response, the Congress Party indicated that the final decision would be determined by the central leadership.

While discussions about the alliance are in preliminary stages, Gadhvi emphasized the likelihood of both parties contesting the Gujarat Lok Sabha elections under a mutually agreed seat-sharing formula.

"We are already researching potential constituencies for AAP candidates," Gadhvi confirmed in the PTI report.

Responding to Gadhvi's surprise announcement, Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi emphasized that decisions regarding seat-sharing agreements rested with the central leadership. Doshi highlighted that Gujarat Congress would adhere to the directives of national leaders when considering pre-poll alliances.

"I have just learned about his announcement. Seat-sharing agreements with other parties are finalised by the central leadership. It is their prerogative to decide pre-poll tie-ups. State leadership will discuss this issue when it is raised by the central leadership. Gujarat Congress will follow the directions of our national leaders in this regard," Doshi said according to PTI.

On the alliance talk between AAP and Congress, Gujarat BJP has expressed minimal concern, asserting that the alliance would not significantly impact their electoral prospects.

Gujarat BJP spokesperson Rutvij Patel underscored the party's historical performance in the state and reiterated their aim to secure all 26 Lok Sabha seats with a significant margin. 

"We have been winning all the 26 LS seats in Gujarat for the last two terms. This time, we target to win all the seats with a margin of 5 lakh votes. The Central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not scared of any such alliance. We are confident of winning the polls. With this announcement, it has now come to the fore that AAP is a B team of Congress," the BJP spokesperson was quoted as saying by PTI.

Notably, the Congress and the AAP competed against each other in the 2022 Gujarat Assembly elections. While Congress won 17 seats, the AAP won five seats in the 182-member House.