'Delay in alliance with AAP affecting poll campaigning'
New Delhi: The issue of alliance with the AAP has delayed election campaigning of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee as party workers are confused. The workers are in dilemma, said a senior leader of the party on condition of anonymity. Congress leader said that workers who have been associated with the party for years were in favour of the alliance. But, the situation is not clear so far. They are sitting idle waiting for a decision from the high command.
The workers are reportedly in favour of an alliance with AAP, aware that it will be impossible to win even one of the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi without this understanding. The seat sharing formula that has been discussed by the two parties earlier followed a 3+3+1 formula, with the one being left for a neutral candidate.
A senior Congress leader said that the DPCC is divided in two groups — one is led by its president Sheila Dikshit while the other is led by two ex-DPCC presidents and a senior leader of AICC who is active in Delhi politics. Dikshit opposes the alliance while the other group supports it on the ground that alliance is a necessity for defeating the BJP. If it is not done, the BJP will sweep in all seven Lok Sabha seats.
Sources said that four former Delhi Congress presidents — Ajay Maken, Subhash Chopra, Tajdar Babar and Arvinder Singh Lovely favoured an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi.
Dikshit's point of view is that the Congress should contest alone whether it loses or wins. This will encourage the party workers who have been associated with the party for generations. They will work to strengthen the party. The second point is that alliance might damage the party in assembly election also that is to be held next year.
In 2013, the Congress had supported the AAP for formation of government. The government had collapsed after 49 days. The second time the Congress could not win even a single seat out of 70 though it had ruled the state for three consecutive terms. The AAP had won 67 seats.
