LS polls: No point of INDIA alliance if Congress has decided to contest alone in Delhi, says AAP

The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday said there was no point in having the INDIA alliance if the Congress has made up its mind to go solo in Delhi for the Lok Sabha polls.

The Congress and AAP are part of the opposition grouping Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).

AAP chief spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said its top leadership will take a call on attending the Mumbai meeting of the opposition bloc INDIA, following the statement of Congress leader Alka Lamba. Congress leaders from Delhi on Wednesday held a meeting with the party’s top leadership to review its preparedness for the Lok Sabha elections and discussed ways and means to strengthen the organisation.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi, who were present at the meeting, asked the party leaders to remain united and connected with people, sources said.

After the meeting, Lamba said they have been given orders to contest on all 7 (Lok Sabha) seats in Delhi. Following her statement, Kakkar said if the Congress wants to fight alone in Delhi, there is no point in attending the INDIA alliance meeting. “If Congress has made up its mind to fight elections alone in Delhi, there is no point of the INDIA alliance. “The final decision to attend the next meeting of the INDIA alliance will be taken by the party’s top leadership. It was the Congress which approached AAP for forming an alliance in Delhi since they do not have an existence in Delhi,” Kakkar said.

Other AAP leaders echoed similar sentiments. AAP

MLA Vinay Mishra said the Congress needs to make its stand clear.

“There will be no point of the INDIA alliance if the Congress continues to give statements like this. The Congress needs to make its stand clear,” he said, adding that the party’s national convener and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal will take a decision keeping in mind the interest of the country and the people of Delhi. AAP leader Somnath Bharti said, “Everyone should realise that we should keep our ambitions aside and think about the country and the Constitution.”