Kalayat, 1 seat in Kurukshetra region: AAP firm on key Haryana seats in poll alliance talks with Congress

Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is willing to partner with the Congress but is insisting on the Kalayat seat and at least one seat in the Kurukshetra region, sources told India Today on Sunday. 

The AAP and Congress had allied for the Lok Sabha elections. As part of the deal, the AAP had contested from Kurukshetra. While the party lost the seat, it secured a lead in four assembly segments - Shahbad, Pehowa, Guhla, and Kalayat  - under Kurukshetra.   

The AAP, which has prepared to contest all 90 seats, is also keeping a close eye on Congress and BJP rebels, aiming to bring them into their camp if the alliance talks fail and the party decides to go solo.

The AAP would begin releasing candidate lists, including the rebels from both parties if no alliance is finalised, sources said. 

Earlier today, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha said that discussions were ongoing between the parties, and he is hopeful of a positive alliance. It would be a "win-win situation" for both national parties to form an alliance for the welfare of the people of Haryana, he added.

"Ball-by-ball commentary cannot be given on which seat and how many seats. Regarding the alliance, we can only say that whenever the final decision is made, we will inform you. There is a desire, a wish, and hope to form an alliance," Chadha said.

The Haryana unit of Congress led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda is reportedly not in favour of any alliance with the AAP. Reports suggest that state leadership believes that it can easily win the majority and requires no alliance. But the central leadership especially Rahul Gandhi wants an alliance with the AAP in Haryana. 

The Indian Express reported that Hooda is especially upset about the Congress-AAP alliance as the seats that the AAP is seeking include those from where he has his nominees. These seats include Jind, Pehowa, and Kalayat.

Not only the Hooda camp, other senior Haryana Congress leaders such as the state party chief Udai Bhan are also not very gung-ho about the Congress-AAP alliance. Partap Singh Bajwa, CLP leader in the AAP-ruled Punjab, also urged the Congress high command to stay as far as possible from the AAP in Haryana. 

Haryana will go to polls on October 5. 

(With inputs from Amit Bhardwaj)