AAP-Congress alliance
– Photo: Amar Ujala/Rahul Bisht
Expansion
In the coordination of seats between Aam Aadmi Party and Congress, mutual differences are coming to the fore on the issue of bringing Dalit voters into their fold. In the formula decided so far, Aam Aadmi Party had given the seats of Chandni Chowk, East Delhi and North East Delhi to Congress in Delhi. Congress leaders had also agreed to this, but now instead of North East Delhi seat, Congress is demanding North West Delhi seat for itself. This is the reason why both the parties have once again come face to face.
In fact, Congress had sought the North-West Delhi seat for itself from the very beginning. This seat is reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates. BJP’s Hansraj Hans got a big victory from here in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Congress’s Rajesh Lilothia stood third here. But Congress has been staking its claim on the seat which has majority of Dalit voters. The biggest reason for this is that Dalit voters in the capital have traditionally been Congress voters, who later became big supporters of the Aam Aadmi Party.
Now, because of its national president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress feels that with the help of his name it can not only bring back its traditional voter bank but can also make a comeback in Delhi politics with his help. Congress leaders believe that if it fields its candidate from here, it can ensure its victory on this seat due to the Kharge effect. Whereas he feels that if Aam Aadmi Party contests from here, it will not win from here and this seat will once again go to BJP’s side.