AAP Decides to Go Solo for Haryana Assembly Polls

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has decided to contest the Haryana Assembly elections alone, issuing its first list of 20 candidates. Talks with Congress failed to culminate in an alliance. AAP leaders asserted the party has prepared for all 90 seats, with further candidate lists to be announced soon.

Ending the suspense over a potential alliance with the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday decided to contest the Haryana Assembly polls independently and issued its first list of 20 candidates.

The decision comes after prolonged alliance talks between AAP and Congress, which protracted as the nomination window for the polls approaches its closing date on September 12.

The 90-member Haryana Assembly is slated for elections on October 5. AAP's Haryana president Sushil Gupta emphasized the party's readiness to field candidates for all 90 seats, citing the lack of time for further alliance negotiations.

Another AAP leader, Sanjay Singh, vowed that the party would approach the Haryana elections with full vigor. Earlier, Gupta suggested that AAP would announce candidates for all seats if Congress did not finalize an alliance by evening. Talks reportedly stalled over AAP's demand for 10 seats, while Congress offered only five.

According to the released list, AAP's Haryana unit vice-president Anurag Dhanda will contest from Kalayat, and other notable candidates include Indu Sharma from Bhiwani and Bijender Hooda from Rohtak.

The failure to reach a seat-sharing agreement raises doubts about a possible coalition in the Delhi elections early next year. Gupta asserted that the countdown to the ruling BJP's exit in Haryana has begun and dismissed concerns about benefiting BJP by going solo.