 "AAP, Arvind Kejriwal")
With the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) set to clinch seat-sharing agreements in Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana and Chandigarh, and negotiations in final stages in Bihar, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, the constituents of the INDIA bloc are on course to field a single candidate on at least 300 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats.
It would also mean that the Congress is set to contest the least number of seats since 1952. If its seat-sharing negotiations with its allies come through, the party may contest at least a hundred fewer seats than it did in 2019. In 2019, the BJP contested 436 seats and the Congress 421 seats.
The Congress and AAP, sources in the two parties said, have concluded their seat-sharing understanding in Delhi, Chandigarh, and Gujarat, while discussions are on to reach an agreement in Haryana. A formal announcement is likely soon.
Of Delhi’s seven seats, the AAP will contest four and the Congress three. Of Gujarat’s 26 seats, the AAP could contest Bharuch and Bhavnagar seats. In 2014 and 2019, the BJP swept all of Delhi and Gujarat’s seats.
In Haryana, the AAP is vying for one of the state’s 10 seats. While the parties have ruled out any alliance for Punjab, the Congress is set to contest the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat, with the AAP agreeing not to field a candidate.
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Sources said the AAP surrendered its earlier claim to contest Congress’ sitting South Goa seat. In Goa, the Congress and BJP shared a seat each. The INDIA bloc alliances for Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Bihar are set to be announced by the first week of March.
