AAP's Lok Sabha plan rules out alliance with Congress in Punjab

Hours after CM Mamata Banerjee announced her decision to fight solo from Bengal, Punjab CM Bhagwant Maan on Wednesday declared that AAP has shortlisted 40 candidates for the 13 Lok Sabha seats, indicating that they would fight solo from Punjab without forging an alliance with Congress.

"The Aam Aadmi Party has shortlisted 40 candidates for the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab. We are getting a survey done before finalising candidates," said Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

Earlier today, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress Supremo Mamata Banerjee announced that her party would fight solo in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and mentioned that decisions about an alliance at a national level will be looked into after the elections. "I had no discussions with the Congress. I have always said that in Bengal, we will fight alone. We had proposed a seat sharing and after they had rejected that, there have been no further talks with us. I am not concerned about what will be done in the country... but we are a secular party and, in Bengal, we alone will defeat BJP,” said Mamata Banerjee.​