Congress will contest Gujarat by-elections without AAP alliance

The opposition Congress on Friday announced that it would not enter into an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and will go it alone in the upcoming bypolls to two assembly constituencies in Gujarat.

After the party's political affairs committee meeting, Gujarat Congress president Shaktisinh Gohil said the party has decided to stay away from the AAP for the by-elections because the Arvind Kejriwal-led party already declared its candidate for the Visavadar seat without consulting it.

He, however, stressed that both parties will remain part of the INDIA bloc at the national level despite Congress' stance in Gujarat.

Gohil hinted that the AAP failed to fulfil the "gathbandhan dharma" by declaring its candidate for the Visavadar seat despite being part of the INDIA bloc.

While the Election Commission is yet to announce dates for the bypolls, the AAP last month declared party leader Gopal Italia as its candidate for the Visavadar seat.

Gohil said, "A detailed discussion was held about the upcoming bypolls in our political affairs committee meeting. Every alliance has some principles. The AAP has already declared its candidate for Visavadar without consulting us. We are part of the INDIA bloc. But, state party units are free to make their own decisions." The Congress leader claimed the party lost the Haryana assembly polls because the AAP had refused to accept its offer on some seats and decided to field its candidates.

He pointed out that the Congress had vacated the Bharuch and Bhavnagar seats for the AAP during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

"Hence, we have unanimously decided to go solo in the upcoming bypolls. It is also a fact that Gujarat voters never accepted a third force. Despite the damage caused by the AAP, the Congress is still the largest opposition party here. In people's interest, Congress will field its candidates on these seats," Gohil said.

The Visavadar seat in Junagadh district has been lying vacant since December 2023 when the then AAP MLA Bhupendra Bhayani resigned and joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while the Kadi seat in Mehsana, a constituency reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates, has been vacant since February 4 after the death of BJP MLA Karsan Solanki.