Haryana elections: Why did Cong-AAP alliance talks fail? Deepender Hooda reveals

Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda on Sunday revealed why the grand old party and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) could not form a pre-poll alliance for the upcoming Haryana assembly elections.

In an exclusive interview with HT's Kumkum Chadha, Hooda said,"The AAP's ground presence in Haryana is limited. They have made efforts to extend their presence here. AAP has not been able to gain success in elections. It has not been able to get any vote share, but still we gave them one seat in the Lok Sabha elections."

“Before the assembly elections, we had a formal conversation with them. We wanted to bring them (AAP) together. We offered them, in our view was a just equation. But while our conversation was going on with AAP, they announced all their candidates,” the Congress leader said.

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“Overall in Haryana we tried for an alliance. But on the ground, the Congress is capable on its own. It is not going to affect our electoral prospects,” Hooda added.

Was ex-CM Bhupinder Hooda reluctant on alliance with AAP?

During the interview, Deepender Hooda was asked if his father Bhupinder Singh Hooda, currently leader of opposition, was reluctant to tie up with AAP.

The Congress leader replied,"No, this is not the correct impression. Rahul Gandhi was keen on adjusting as some of the alliance partners. The state Congress unit had a very open mind. That's why we were having those conversations. I think towards the end, the AAP for some reason, while the conversation was ongoing, they ended up announcing their candidates. We had no problems with the AAP."

“During the Lok Sabha elections, the state unit was happy in giving them one seat. Otherwise, AAP does not have so much presence to get one Lok Sabha seat,” he added.

"Even in the assembly elections, any just seat figure could have worked out and was very much acceptable to the state unit.
 

Is there infighting in Haryana Congress unit?

Deepender Hooda rejected rumours of infighting within the Haryana Congress unit ahead of elections.

“The Congress is absolutely united under the leadership of Kharge ji, Rahul ji and Sonia ji. From one corner to the other of Haryana, you can find the echo of a united Congress. During the Lok Sabha elections, a same analysis was given about the Congress being a divided house. But after the results came out, you saw that the party worker fought under the central leadership with the ideology and under the state leadership of Uday Bhan ji and Hooda ji,” the Congress leader said.