Chacko hints Cong open for pact with AAP to form govt

New Delhi: A day after the exit polls predicted that the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will return to power with an impressive victory in the Delhi Assembly election, senior Congress leader P.C. Chacko, on being asked about the possibility of Congress-AAP alliance, said that every decision depends on the outcome of the election result.

“It (Congress-AAP alliance) depends on the election results, which will come on February 11. There is no point in guessing. Once the outcome is there only then can we think about it or discuss it. It is too early now,” Mr Chacko said.

The Congress leader also rubbished the exit poll predictions that his party will fail to open account in the national capital.

Congress had failed to win even a single seat in the 2015 Assembly polls even after ruling the city for 15 consecutive years.

Mr Chacko said: “The Delhi Assembly election exit poll has predicted that Congress will be seen to be reduced to zero. However, the exit poll results are not always correct as was visible during the election results in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. I think Congress is likely to do better than what surveys predict.”

The Congress leader, who is also the party’s in-charge of Delhi affairs, said: “If the poll prediction can be perfect then we don’t need an election. We have faced such exit polls in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. I am not denying that these conclusions may not be always right, but I feel that this exit poll may not be very correct.”

“Congress is likely to do better than what these surveys are saying. I am not saying that we will get a majority, but our position may be better,” he added.

In response to Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari’s claim that BJP will win 48 seats in the national capital, Mr Chacko said, “BJP won seven parliamentary seats, which means more than 50 per cent votes, in the last Lok Sabha election. Why is Manoj Tiwari saying that the party will win 48 seats?”

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi was campaigning, Union home minister Amit Shah was doing roadshows, 200 MPs were deputed to stay in jhuggis, and money was being spent like water. However, BJP is still commenting that out of 70 they will get 40 seats. This means that BJP is going down and they are admitting it. Manoj Tiwari’s claim is an admission of the weakness of BJP,” he added.