AAP to go solo in Haryana polls, releases 1st list of 20 candidates

Ending the suspense over an alliance with the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party on Monday decided to go solo in the Haryana assembly polls as it issued its first list of 20 candidates.

The decision came amid alliance talks between the AAP and the Congress that dragged on and in view of the nomination window for the polls closing on September 12.

The 90-member Haryana Assembly is scheduled to go to polls on October 5.

On the issue of an alliance with the Congress, AAP's Haryana president Sushil Gupta said, "I want to say very clearly that we have been preparing for all the 90 seats since day one. There is not much time left for the polls, the last date for filing nominations is September 12. So the wait is over now."

He asserted that the AAP is a strong alternative in Haryana, adding that the party's second list of candidates will also be released soon.

Another AAP leader, Sanjay Singh, said the party will fight the Haryana polls with full strength.

Earlier in the day, Gupta had said the AAP would release the names of its candidates from all 90 seats if the Congress failed to seal the deal by the evening.

The talks between the two parties were stuck up over the number of seats to be contested by the AAP.

According to sources, the Arvind Kejriwal-led party was demanding 10 seats, while the Congress had offered it only five.

According to the list of candidates shared by the AAP, its Haryana unit vice-president Anurag Dhanda will contest the election from Kalayat, considered to be a stronghold of former chief minister and veteran Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and Indu Sharma from

Bhiwani. Vikash Nehra has been fielded from Meham, while Bijender Hooda is in the poll fray from Rohtak.

The failures of the AAP and the Congress to agree on a seat-sharing arrangement in Haryana also puts a question mark on the possibility of a tie-up between the two parties in Delhi, which is scheduled to go to polls early next year.

The AAP has fielded Kuldeep Gadrana from Dabwali, a bastion of the Chautala clan. Other party contestants include Kuldeep Chikara from Bahadurgarh, Randir Guliya from Badli, Sonu Ahlawat Sheria from Beri, Ravinder Faujdar from Ballabhgarh, Dharmender Khatana from Sohna and Bir Singh Sarpanch from Badshahpur.

Gupta said the countdown for the exit of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has begun in Haryana and added that "the AAP will not allow the BJP to benefit at any cost". He was replying to reporter's question on whether the AAP's decision to go solo will benefit the saffron party in Haryana.

On the alliance prospects with the Congress, Singh said, "We do not have sufficient time. We are now engaged in finalising the candidates' names for the remaining seats."

On Sunday, AAP leader Raghav Chadha, who was holding talks with Congress leaders over a prospective alliance, said both parties were trying to form a coalition for the Haryana polls, keeping aside their individual aspirations.