Lok Sabha elections: Congress slams door on alliance with AAP in Delhi

The announcement by the Delhi Congress chief Sheila Dikshit came following a meeting with Congress president Rahul Gandhi.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal (L) and Congress leader Sheila Dikshit(R). (File | Agencies)
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal (L) and Congress leader Sheila Dikshit(R). (File | Agencies)

NEW DELHI: Delhi Congress chief Sheila Dikshit on Tuesday put a definitive end to speculations of a possible alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.After a meeting with Congress president Rahul Gandhi, she said her party does not need an alliance.

“You will see results in future. Congress is a big national party. We never wanted an alliance and there was no pressure from any quarter...” she said. However, a senior Delhi Congress, privy to the development, said in fact, two possible formulas were deliberated upon in the meeting.

Last week, AAP announced candidates on six of seven Delhi Lok Sabha seats. The party however, had not closed the door on a potential alliance with the Congress in order to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Reacting to Dikshit’s stand, AAP Delhi incharge Gopal Rai claimed, “the Congress is in an undeclared alliance with the BJP,” to weaken AAP.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also claimed there was a tacit understanding between the two parties. “At a time when the whole country wants to defeat the Modi-Shah duo, the Congress is helping the BJP by splitting the anti-BJP vote... Delhi is ready to fight against the Cong-BJP alliance...”Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari took on the CM saying “Kejriwal is so infuriated due to the refusal of the Congress Party. He is so afraid of defeat that he is begging for an alliance...”

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com