The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has voiced its criticism against the Congress following a statement by a Congress leader that their party will contest on all seven seats in Delhi during next year’s Lok Sabha election.
Congress leader Alka Lamba informed news agency PTI, “We have been given orders to contest on all 7 (Lok Sabha) seats in Delhi.”
Lamba further mentioned, “The meeting lasted for four hours and was attended by 40 leaders who put forth their opinion. The talks focused on strengthening the Congress in Delhi,” referring to a meeting organized by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge in the capital.
Reacting to Lamba’s statement, AAP’s chief national spokesperson, Priyanka Kakkar, stated, “If Congress has already decided not to form an alliance with us, then it is of no use for us to attend the next ‘INDIA’ alliance meeting. Our top leadership will decide whether or not we’ll attend the next meeting.”
Delhi Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj added, “Our central leadership will decide this… Our political affairs committee and INDIA parties will sit together and discuss this (poll alliance).”
AAP leader Somnath Bharti emphasized, “Everyone should realize that we should keep our ambitions aside and think about the country and Constitution.”
The Congress and AAP had recently clashed over the Centre’s Delhi Services Bill. The AAP had demanded clarity from the Congress regarding its stance on the ordinance as a prerequisite for attending the I.N.D.I.A alliance meeting. Although the Congress later supported the AAP over the services bill in parliament, it was unable to prevent the bill from passing and receiving presidential assent.
Failed Reunion Attempt in 2019: During the 2019 Lok Sabha election, discussions between the Congress and AAP broke down, leading to both parties blaming each other for the failure to form an alliance for 18 Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, Haryana, and Punjab. The Congress criticized AAP’s leadership, while the AAP accused the Congress of wasting time under the guise of discussions.
Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia stated, “The sole reason for us to go for an alliance with the Congress was to defeat the Modi-Shah pair in the election and not to fight over which party contests how many seats in these 18 Lok Sabha constituencies. But the Congress backtracked from the last agreed seat-sharing arrangement for Haryana.”
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