Delhi Congress leaves decision on alliance with AAP to Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi: Delhi Congress president Sheila Dikshit and other leaders of the unit on Monday discussed the possibility of an alliance with the AAP for the Lok Sabha polls in the city in a meeting with party chief Rahul Gandhi.

The opinion remained divided on the issue and everyone in the meeting was unanimous that Gandhi should take a final call on it in the larger interest of the party, said a participant of the meeting.

Sources said 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.

"AICC in-charge of Delhi Congress PC Chacko also handed over signed letters of 12 district Congress presidents, leaders of the party and councilors in three municipal corporation, in favour of the alliance, to Gandhi," they said.

Delhi Congress president Sheila Dikshit and three working presidents Devender Yadav, Rajesh Lilothia, and Haroon Yusuf maintained their stand against the alliance, sources said. The AAP has been seeking an alliance with the Congress in Delhi but the grand old party has not made its stand clear on the possible tie-up.

However, after getting no clear response from the Congress, the AAP declared its last candidate in Delhi for the Lok Sabha polls, with a senior leader saying the announcement was made seeing the Congress' "irresponsible and indecisive" attitude towards the alliance.

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal had also said internal surveys have indicated that the AAP is capable of winning all seven seats in Delhi on its own and it does not require an alliance with the Congress in Delhi. However, the Congress and the AAP last Tuesday made fresh efforts with the help of NCP chief Sharad Pawar to forge an alliance in Delhi for the polls. Sources said last week AAP made a fresh bid to forge an alliance with the Congress in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, with the former demanding five seats in the national capital.

However, shortly after the meeting Kejriwal said that the Congress has refused to form an alliance with the AAP in Delhi and the two parties are not in talks with each other.

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