Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Sheila Dikshit on Tuesday categorically ruled out any alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi.
“Congress has unanimously taken a decision that there will be no alliance with AAP. The decision was taken in Rahul’s presence and it is final,” Dikshit said after the meeting.
Dikshit’s reiteration about no alliance with the AAP evoked a sharp response from Delhi Chief Minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, who said, “At a time when the whole country wants to defeat Modi-Shah duo, the Congress is helping the BJP by splitting anti-BJP vote. Rumours are that Congress has some secret understanding with BJP. Delhi is ready to fight against Congress-BJP alliance. People will defeat this unholy alliance.”
Before the meeting could begin on the subject, Rahul stated that he would honour the sentiments of the PCC and the local leaders. The one-hour-long Congress discussion conclusively expressed the predominant feeling that Kejriwal was not a reliable ally.
“The State leaders feel that it is more important to counter Kejriwal as only by cornering him the party can survive in Delhi. And there is logic in what they say,” said the Congress sources.
Haroon Yusuf, Rajesh Lilothia and former Delhi Congress chiefs Ajay Maken, JP Aggarwal, Arvinder Singh Lovely, and Subash Chopra were present in the meeting.
All were of the view that the Congress ruled the national Capital for 15 years and during this Delhi had appreciable numbers of Congress representatives in the Lok Sabha. AICC general secretary in-charge of Delhi PC Chacko, who attended the meeting, favoured alliance with the AAP but the proposal was vehemently resented by others led by Dikshit.
“Dikshit and others conveyed that the Congress needs to look beyond the Lok Sabha elections and take into account the Assembly polls scheduled for 2020. Kejriwal will be the main rival in the Assembly elections and thus it will not be wise to give it a helping hand in the LS polls,” sources in the party said.
The Congress high command so far was inclined to consider a pre-poll ties with the AAP in the Lok Sabha elections keeping in view the Opposition unity to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ensure that the anti-BJP votes do not get split.