Kejriwal pulls curtains on INDIA in Punjab, Chandigarh; says AAP will contest all 14 seats

Dealing a blow to the Opposition INDIA alliance, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Saturday that his party will contest all 13 parliamentary constituencies in Punjab as well as the Chandigarh seat in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls on its own steam.

Kejriwal’s assertion closed the door for any further seat-sharing negotiations between the AAP and the Congress in Punjab. Both parties are key constituents of the INDIA bloc.

Kejriwal made the announcement while addressing an event at Khanna in Punjab, where he inaugurated the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government’s “Ghar Ghar (home-delivery) ration scheme” to provide wheat or flour at the doorstep of the beneficiaries.

“Two years ago, you gave us (AAP) a huge blessing of 92 seats out of 117 (in the Punjab Assembly polls). You created history,” Kejriwal said. “I have come to you with folded hands today to seek another blessing. In two months, there will be Lok Sabha elections. In these elections, there are 13 seats. There is another seat in Chandigarh. In the coming 10-15 days, AAP will announce its candidates. Now, I request you all to bless AAP the same way to win 14 seats.”

The seat-sharing troubles between the Congress and the AAP for the Punjab seats have been persistent, with senior leaders from both parties openly making statements against the tie-up. However, their coming together for the recent Chandigarh mayoral polls had signalled that the differences were being resolved.

On January 24, CM Mann had said the AAP would not ally with the Congress in Punjab. However, even after the CM’s announcement, the AAP’s general secretary (organisation) Sandeep Pathak had said the final call would be taken by the party leadership.

A few weeks