Arvind Kejriwal
Less than three months before the Lok Sabha elections 2019, a section of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders from Punjab raised concern over the possibility of an alliance with Congress for the general polls at a meeting with party's national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday. The meeting continued for four-hour.
In the meeting of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of AAP held at Kejriwal's residence here, the party's Punjab unit expressed reservations about joining hands with the Rahul Gandhi-led party. In Punjab where the government is headed by the Congress, AAP is the main opposition party. The meeting was attended by nearly 800 AAP office-bearers, party MLAs and MPs from Punjab.
The PAC will consider the opinion of party leaders and workers from Punjab, Haryana and Delhi in a meeting after January 15, said senior AAP leader Gopal Rai.
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A decision on alliances as per the existing situation will be taken after the meeting, he added.
The National Council of AAP had in its meeting last week decided to contest all 33 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab, Delhi, Haryana, Goa and Chandigarh.
The party, however, is still undecided over any pre-poll alliance with the Congress or the 'Mahagathbandhan' of various non-BJP parties.
"In the meeting with Kejriwal, some persons pointed out AAP was the main opposition in Punjab where Congress is the ruling party, which has failed to fulfil its promises, so it will be difficult to contest the elections (with Congress)," Rai said.
The Haryana party unit will meet Kejriwal on Friday followed by the party's Delhi representatives. Such meetings will continue till January 15.
Rai said Punjab AAP unit's core committee has been asked to shortlist the names of candidates on all the seats and send the same to the PAC for a final decision. The party has already announced its candidates on five seats in the state.
The booth-level organisation in Punjab will be strengthened under the stewardship of block in-charges till January 30. Afterwards, a door-to-door campaign will be launched to reach out to the voters, the AAP leader said.
An agitation against high power tariff in the northern state has also been planned by the AAP, Rai added.
(With PTI inputs)
