Logjam over Haryana hits AAP-Cong alliance in Delhi

NEW DELHI: Logjam over Haryana seat sharing between the AAP and the Congress has hit the prospect of alliance in Delhi and fresh talks initiated by both the parties remained inconclusive on Thursday, the second day. Different versions of political leaders from both the parties kept coming throughout the day. While senior party functionaries came gave statements that there would be no alliance between AAP and Congress, there has been no official announcement of talks being calling off.

Sources said that last-minute efforts are being made from both the sides. "We had made one last effort. Sanjay Singh held talks, but can't understand that after almost finalizing the matter and seat sharing, why the Congress stepped back on Wednesday evening," said AAP Delhi convenor Gopal Rai.

On Thursday, Congress also maintained that there would no alliance with AAP. Congress leader PC Chacko said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) backtracked on forging an alliance with the Congress after a final understanding over seat sharing in New Delhi was reached between both the parties. Chacko said the Congress is ready to fight on all the seven seats, adding that the party will announce its candidates by Friday. "I had a discussion with AAP leader Sanjay Singh and we decided on a 3:4 formula. That was finally decided but then AAP was discussing some other states," he said.

However, at the ground a series of meetings took place inside AAP and also with the Congress, said sources. The problem stayed in the Haryana sit sharing formula where Congress did not accept the offer to give JJP three seats and opted to fight 7 seats. The AAP agreed to get 1 seat but pushed Congress to give JJP 3 seats which became the flashpoint between both the parties.

Meanwhile, senior AAP functionaries on Thursday met with MP Sanjay Singh who was appointed as the key negotiator from the AAP, said sources. Earlier, the party informed that AAP is ready with the 4:3 sharing formula in Delhi but only if the alliance is sealed in Haryana and this has emerged as the major problem to form the alliance.

On April 15, Rahul Gandhi accused Kejriwal of doing "yet another U-turn" saying he was not firming up the alliance despite Congress' readiness "to give up 4 Delhi seats". Responding to this, AAP national convenor and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal accused the Congress of indulging in rhetoric. He added that the Congress was helping the BJP by ensuring a split in the anti-Modi vote in UP and other states.