Congress has begun negotiations with AAP and other parties for an alliance in the Haryana Assembly elections after a passionate plea from the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, who appeared keen to take forward the I.N.D.I.A. experiment to states by conceding some space to potential allies. According to sources, Congress seems to be ready to part with five seats to AAP and may give one each to Samajwadi Party and the CPI(M) in Haryana. However, AAP is asking for ten seats and its demand is based on the argument that it fought one Lok Sabha seat in Haryana in alliance with Congress, which consists of nine Assembly seats. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also shares Rahul’s view that a larger coalition is needed to take on the BJP and I.N.D.I.A. bloc should not be seen as fragmented at any level. Meanwhile, according to sources in the AAP, talks for an alliance between the two parties in Delhi are also underway, though still in the initial stages. But the Delhi Congress leaders are not in favour of an alliance in the state. (IPA Service)
