The Aam Aadmi Party today announced three candidates from Assam ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, citing delays in finalizing seat-sharing arrangements with the Congress.
The AAP revealed its candidates for Assam's Lok Sabha seats: Manoj Dhanowar for Dibrugarh, Bhaben Chaudhary for Guwahati, and Rishi Raj Kauntinya for Tezpur.
Announcing the candidates' names, AAP MP and national general secretary (organisation) Sandeep Pathak said talks within the INDIA alliance have been going on "for months". "We are tired of talking now. We have to contest, and win, elections. There is no time. We are fully with the INDIA alliance and I hope that the alliance will allot these three seats to AAP," he said.
"How long will we keep talking? We need to work. We are strongly with INDIA alliance, but winning the polls is priority. The more we expedite, the better our chances will be," he added.
While the three seats currently belong to the BJP, AAP's lack of parliamentary victories in Assam may pose a challenge to its claim for the seats, with the Congress possibly seeking a share. In the 2019 polls, the BJP secured nine seats while the Congress won three in Assam.
The development in Assam adds to Congress's woes following delays in finalizing seat-sharing arrangements with regional parties. Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced her party's decision to contest alone after the state Congress rejected her offer for two seats. In Punjab, AAP's Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann signaled readiness to contest all 13 seats independently.
The Opposition bloc faces challenges in Uttar Pradesh too, where the Samajwadi Party declared 11 candidates despite ongoing talks with the Congress.