The political landscape in Punjab is witnessing seismic shifts as the pre-poll alliance prospects between two key players in the pan-India opposition bloc — the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress — seem to be fading away in the border state. Punjab Chief Minister and AAP leader Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday, once again, categorically announced the partys decision to go solo in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, dispelling any notions of an alliance with the Congress in Punjab . Kitni baar kehlaoge mujhse (how many times will you make me say the same thing? Desh mein Punjab banega hero, Aam Aadmi Party 13-0, Mann said, replying to media queries regarding the possibility of alliance with Congress. Mann, interacting with the media after the Cabinet meeting, asserted, In Punjab, we will not do anything like that. We have nothing with the Congress. The declaration came amidst earlier indications of a possible alliance, with Mann previously suggesting that the high command would make the final decision. The recent collaboration in the mayoral elections for the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation seemed to hint at a thaw in relations between the two political opponents in Punjab, where Congress is the principal opposition party, and AAP is in power. However, Manns latest statement puts any speculations to rest. He confidently proclaimed, In 2024, Punjab will create history by giving 13-0 to AAP. There will be no alliance with Congress in the state. Chief Minister Mann also informed that AAP, in the past few days, have prepared a list of 40 probable for Punjabs 13 Lok Sabha seats, of which 13 will be selected to contest as AAP candidates. There are three to four probable candidates per Lok Sabha constituency. Surveys will be conducted and we have kept winnabilty as the criterion (for fielding a candidate), he added. Punjab, with its 13 Lok Sabha seats, holds significant political weight, and AAPs decision to contest independently reflects its confidence in securing a sweeping victory. AAP currently has one MP from Punjab, and the partys landslide victory in the 2022 assembly elections has bolstered its aspirations for success on the national stage. As AAP charts its course for the upcoming elections, the declaration of contesting all 13 seats in Punjab is a clear indication of the partys ambition to replicate its state-level success at the national level. Interestingly, Manns declaration came hours after the West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamta Benarjee announced that her party would have no tie-up with the Congress in the state for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. AAP and TMC were both Congress allies as part of the Oppositions INDIA bloc. While Banerjee stated that she would take a decision about her partys stand at the national level after the Lok Sabha elections, Mann did not specify on AAPs position on the INDIA alliance at the national level. In the past few days, the central leadership of both parties have been involved in discussions to allocate seats for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Despite being political adversaries in both Punjab and Delhi, the Congress and AAP have conducted two rounds of negotiations. Additionally, the two parties recently formed an alliance to jointly contest the mayoral position in Chandigarh. Prior to securing a majority in the Punjab Assembly in 2022, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had claimed victory in one of the states 13 parliamentary constituencies during the 2019 general elections. In the same elections, the Congress emerged triumphant in eight constituencies, while the Shiromani Akali Dal, then aligned with the BJP-led NDA alliance, secured two seats, and the BJP clinched two victories. Cong Workers Against Alliance With AAP In a parallel development, the Congress party finds itself grappling with the aftermath of anti-alliance sentiments within its ranks. The opposition to an alliance with the AAP has been palpable, with Congress leaders in Punjab vehemently opposing the idea. The sentiment was echoed in feedback meetings with Congress general secretary in-charge Devender Yadav, where party cadres expressed their reluctance towards any collaboration. The Congress, with six sitting MPs in Punjab, has been facing internal resistance to forging an alliance with the AAP, citing past grievances and allegations of vendetta politics. The Vigilance Bureaus actions against Congress leaders in corruption cases have added to the acrimony between the two parties. Despite the ongoing seat-sharing negotiations at the national level, the resistance from state-level leaders and workers signaled a challenging path for any potential alliance. In the Congress Parliamentary meet of workers at Jalandhar on Wednesday, a palpable undercurrent of anti-alliance sentiment has surfaced, gaining strength especially in the aftermath of previous years Lok Sabha bypoll where Sushil Rinku defected from the Congress ranks to join AAP, emerging victorious as the Member of Parliament from Jalandhar. The gathering, attended by party heavyweights including party affairs in-charge Devender Yadav and the Leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha Partap Singh Bajwa, was organized to chalk out the strategy for ensuing Lok Sabha polls. In a bid to gauge the pulse of the workers on the issue of an alliance and potential disciplinary action against those involved in anti-party activities, partys state general secretary Capt Sandeep Sandhu asked the workers to raise their hands, seeking their opinion on these crucial matters. In similar meeting at Patiala a day before, similar anti-alliance sentiment was observed among the grassroot workers. Already, state leadership has conveyed its opposition to ally with the ruling party where Congress is the principal opposition party. In Punjab, where the Congress had a significant setback in the 2022 assembly elections, the party is looking to regain lost ground. The AAPs dominance in the state has created a complex political landscape, making seat-sharing negotiations fraught with challenges. The state units of both parties stand strongly opposed to any alliance, setting the stage for a fiercely contested electoral battleground.

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