'AAP-Congress alliance remains inconclusive, talks to continue'
NEW DELHI: After a day-long meeting on Wednesday between AAP and Congress in various phases, the alliance between both the parties remained inconclusive but the sources from both the parties confirmed that the talks will continue. According to the sources, the AAP has accepted the 4:3 seat sharing formula in Delhi but as in Haryana the Congress was not ready to negotiate the talks.
AAP's Sanjay Singh on Wednesday met Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad to take the alliance talks to a conclusion, sources said. According to sources, has proposed a 6:3:1 seat sharing in Haryana in which Congress would fight from six seats, while the JJP would field its candidates for three seats and one candidate would be fielded by the AAP. But the Congress has proposed a 7:2:1 seat-sharing formula in which seven Congress candidates, two JJP candidates and one AAP candidate would contest the polls, the sources added.
On Wednesday, Singh also met CM Arvind Kejriwal to apprise him about the condition where the AAP national convenor also reportedly agreed with the Delhi pact. Later in the evening, confusion erupted when Singh said, "Congress has refused to form an alliance in Haryana and we do not want a tie-up only in Delhi." Minutes after the statement, the sources said that the talk will continue and no such decision of calling off talks took place.
Earlier, Congress offered four Delhi seats to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to ensure the rout of the BJP. However, in response to Congress' offer, AAP leadership asked for three seats in Haryana and one in Chandigarh. Sources had told the Indian Express that Haryana was the main demand as AAP believed it has enough support in Gurgaon, Faridabad and Karnal seats to win with an alliance. Meanwhile, sources in Congress denied having any knowledge of AAP's demand and said the party never put forth any such request when the possibility of an alliance was being discussed earlier.
Earlier, AAP sources said if the Congress wants alliance only in Delhi then it has to be in the 5:2 ratio and if an alliance is sealed for both Delhi and Haryana then the ratio can be 4:3 in the national capital and 6:3:1 in Haryana.
Amid a continuing blame-game over seat-sharing in Delhi, Rahul Gandhi and CM Kejriwal Monday engaged in a public spat, with the Congress president accusing the AAP of making a "U-turn" over alliance talks, prompting the Delhi chief minister to hit back at him. Gandhi had said while the doors of his party are open, time is running out, but CM Kejriwal slammed him, questioning what U-turn was he talking about as the talks were still on. AAP has already declared candidates on all seven Lok Sabha seats.