AAP opposed alliance after the senior congress leader and Delhi Congress chief Sheila Dikshit said that Congress cannot ally with a small party like AAP.
New Delhi: Ending months of speculation, the AAP on Friday ruled out the possibility of any alliance with Congress for Lok Sabha polls, and added it will field candidates on all parliamentary constituencies in Delhi, Punjab and Haryana.
Senior AAP leader and party’s Delhi unit convener Gopal Rai said the decision came in the wake of the recent statements of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Delhi Congress chief Sheila Dikshit, opposing an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party.
“In the interest of the country, we were ready to drink the poison of Congress, but the statements show that the Congress is still seeped in its arrogance. The AAP will contest all Lok Sabha seats in the three states on its own,” Rai said at a press conference.
Dikshit refused to comment on the development.
“I do not have to react on what he said. It’s his opinion,” she said.
Rai said AAP in collaboration with “like-minded” parties in the country, will defeat the BJP in Delhi and get a new government installed at the Centre.
He said the “vision” of an alliance with Congress came into being on suggestions of leaders like Mamata Banerjee, M K Stalin, Chandrababu Naidu and Farooq Abdullah.
“Like-minded leaders like Farooq Abdullah, M K Stalin, Chandrababu Naidu, Mamata Banerjee among others stressed that despite disagreements with Congress, we (AAP) should fight the elections together in the interest of the country,” he said.
The AAP, despite objections of its Delhi and Punjab units, was ready to go with Congress to end the “dictatorship of Modi-Shah combine” and to save the Constitution, he said.
“The way Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh issued statement that AAP has no takers in Punjab and Sheila Dikshit said that Congress is a national party and it can not ally with a small party like AAP, made it clear that Congress kept its arrogance above the interest of the country.”
Delhi Congress working president Devender Yadav said AAP’s decision proved that only it was vying for an alliance for the coming polls.
“They were running after us for an alliance and now rejecting it. It shows that they had interest in it and when we declined, they backed out,” Yadav said.
He said that Delhi Congress is of firm view that it will contest Lok Sabha polls alone.
The AAP, which is the main opposition party in Punjab, will launch its campaign for Lok Sabha polls in the state with a rally in Barnala on January 20 which will be attended by party chief Arvind Kejriwal.
The candidates on the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi will be announced soon, Rai added.
No doubt one day will come when Cong and AAP will stand together. Now, it is not sufficient for them by BJP.. Let us hope in 2024 when they will understand to meet and join after huge huge huge blows …
Wanting to win election and form a government is indeed genuine but wanting to to keep someone out by forming unhealthy alliances is dangerous for the country. We the people of this country have had very bitter experience in this. But what is the use we are again going in the same direction. On its part BJP with its arrogance and parochial vision has shot itself in the foot. Despite all its incongruous acts do the people think that this group of opportunistic politicians like Kejriwal, Mamata, Mayawati, Raga, Naidu and the antinationals like the Abdullahas and Muftis bode well for the country. Looks like the country will revisit the VP Singh era and
take the country back by 50 years again. If it does happen we deserve it
The choices made by both AAP and the Congress should be respected. No ulterior motives or hidden agenda should be read into them. This is the normal state of Indian politics. An exceptional situation in which one player became larger than life, squeezed space for other participants, compelled them to bury decades old differences, come together in a sheer act of survival may not come again after the general election.