"Preparing for Congress to win maximum seats," says Ajay Maken Congress' senior observer for Haryana assembly polls

New Delhi [India], September 15 (ANI): Congress' senior observer for Haryana assembly elections, Ajay Maken, said on Sunday that the party held strategic discussions aimed at maximizing their seat count in the state and expressed confidence that the party will come out victorious in defeating the BJP in the ensuing polls.
"We all discussed the Haryana elections, and we are preparing for Congress to win maximum seats in the state. The only competition for Congress in Haryana is the BJP. We want to urge the people of Haryana to vote for Congress," Maken told ANI.
Adding further, he said, "The BJP and Congress stand face-to-face in the state, if you vote for any other party, it will benefit the BJP. If anyone wants to vote against the BJP, they should vote for Congress; otherwise, it will benefit the BJP."
"It is only the Congress party that can defeat the BJP, and it will do so in the upcoming assembly elections," said Maken.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge appointed former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, party leader Ajay Maken, and Partap Singh Bajwa as AICC senior observers for the upcoming Haryana Assembly election, said an official release of the party.
After failing to reach a seat-sharing arrangement with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Congress has fielded candidates for 89 seats out of 90 in the Assembly election. The party has left one seat for the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
Haryana is expected to witness a triangular fight between the ruling BJP, Congress, and Aam Aadmi Party.
The BJP has been in power in the state for the last ten years, winning the last two consecutive Assembly elections. But this time the party is facing a tough fight from the Congress. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the BJP and the Congress won five seats each out of 10 seats in the state.
A total of 1,561 candidates have filed their nominations for the Assembly elections that are scheduled to be held on October 5.Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Pankaj Agarwal said on Friday that 1,561 candidates from different political parties and independent candidates have filed 1747 nomination papers, which have been scrutinised.
Agarwal said that candidates who have filed nominations for the elections can withdraw their nominations until September 16.
After this date, the final list of candidates for the 90 assembly constituencies of the state will be published, and on the same day, the election symbols will also be allotted by the concerned returning officers, he added.
In the 2014 Haryana Assembly elections, 1351 candidates had contested, whereas in the 2019 Assembly elections, this number was 961.
Voting for the 90-member legislative assembly in Haryana will be held on October 5. Votes will be counted on October 8 along with that in Jammu and Kashmir. (ANI)