AAP will not enter alliance with Congress in Punjab for Lok Sabha polls, says CM Mann
Chandigarh (PTI): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said his party will not enter into an alliance with the Congress in the state for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, reiterating that the AAP will win all 13 seats.
Mann's statement comes on a day West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee announced that her party will not ally with the Congress for the parliamentary polls in that state.
The AAP is part of the 28-party INDIA bloc along with the Congress, TMC and the CPI(M)-led Left Front.
The Punjab chief minister made the statement at a time the AAP and the Congress are locked in talks over seat sharing in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Goa and Gujarat for the general elections.
However, the AAP has entered into an alliance with the Congress for the Chandigarh mayoral poll.
Replying to a question on his party's alliance with the Congress, Mann said he has said many times that "Punjab will become a hero in the country and the AAP will win 13-0 in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls".
When questioned if it was clear that the AAP will not have an electoral alliance with the Congress, Mann said, "We are not going with them (Congress)."
He further said discussions have already taken place on the AAP's probable candidates for Punjab's 13 Lok Sabha seats and the names of 40 probables have come up.
"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 said while speaking to reporters after chairing a Cabinet meeting.
Mann and several AAP leaders have been opposing any truck with the Congress for the Lok Sabha polls.
VIDEO | "We have nothing to with Congress in Punjab," says Punjab CM @BhagwantMann in response to a media query on whether AAP will go it alone in the Lok Sabha polls in the state. pic.twitter.com/hDtpIMCuaH
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 24, 2024
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Trump says he ‘hasn’t even thought about’ continuing Iran ceasefire
Washington: US President Donald Trump has said he has not yet considered whether he would continue the ceasefire involving Iran, while also claiming the United States holds the advantage in negotiations.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said he was prepared to make a deal with “whoever is running the show” in Iran.
“They are fighting with each other, there’s tremendous infighting. They’re probably fighting for leadership in many cases. I think they’re fighting not to be leader because we knocked out two levels of leaders,” he said.
Trump added, “When they want they can call me. We have all the cards, we’ve won everything.”
Referring to ongoing negotiations, he said, “They gave us a paper that should’ve been better. And, interestingly, immediately when I cancelled it [envoy trip to Pakistan], within 10 minutes we got a new paper that was much better.”
“We talked about they will not have a nuclear weapon, very simple … They offered a lot, but not enough,” he added.
When asked whether he would continue the ceasefire, Trump replied, “I haven’t even thought about it.”
The remarks come as uncertainty remains over the future of the temporary truce and broader negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
