Congress Responds to AAP Contesting Delhi Elections Alone

New Delhi: On Monday, Congress acknowledged what had been expected, and what AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal had publicly stated on Sunday—that there would be no alliance in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections.

Former Congress MP from Delhi (North-West), Udit Raj, stated that the party's interim Delhi unit president, Devender Yadav, had already made it clear that no alliance would take place. He said, "Congress had already made this clear, so the question of seat-sharing does not even arise."

Udit Raj further mentioned that AAP was trying to create a narrative to put pressure on Congress. He asked, "If it has already been made clear, why are such questions even being raised?"

Kejriwal's Clear Statement – No Alliance in Delhi

On Sunday, Arvind Kejriwal completely dismissed any possibility of an alliance with Congress or any other party from the INDIA bloc for the Delhi elections. During a press conference, he stated, "There will be no alliance in Delhi."

In the 2019 general elections, AAP and Congress had contested together, but the alliance had a disastrous outcome, with the BJP winning all the seats. Additionally, talks between AAP and Congress over seat-sharing for the Haryana Assembly elections also failed, and the BJP emerged victorious in that election too.

BJP Mocks the Split Between AAP and Congress

The BJP mocked the breaking of ties between AAP and Congress. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla remarked, "After coming together in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, both parties lost direction and lost. Now, this is a 'friends with benefits' model, where they will contest against each other but unite in Parliament."

BJP's new member and former AAP leader Kailash Gehlot also took a jibe, saying, "The people of Delhi have already decided to bring the BJP to power. The alliance between AAP and Congress had no impact in the Lok Sabha elections. People are frustrated with issues like poor roads and sewer problems in Delhi."

Kejriwal to Personally Lead the Election Strategy

Meanwhile, Arvind Kejriwal has decided to personally lead his party’s strategy for winning a third consecutive term in the Delhi Assembly. Sources say that he will oversee the election planning through "micro-management."

AAP has already released its first list of 11 candidates, including three sitting MLAs who have been replaced due to anti-incumbency concerns. Two of these candidates have recently joined AAP from Congress.

Congress Issues Strong Statement Against AAP

Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit strongly responded to Kejriwal’s statement, asserting that Delhi Congress would not form an alliance with a party that has "ruined Delhi in the past ten years."

Speaking to ANI, Sandeep Dikshit said, "Delhi Congress has already stated that there will be no alliance with any party, especially AAP. We cannot be with a party that has caused so much harm to Delhi."

Udit Raj Questions Kejriwal’s Statements

Congress leader Udit Raj also raised questions. He asked why Kejriwal was stating there would be no alliance when Devender Yadav, Congress’s Delhi president, had already made it clear.

Speaking to ANI, Udit Raj said, "When Devender Yadav has already announced that there will be no alliance, then where are these questions coming from? It seems AAP is trying to create pressure, although it has already been clarified."

New Member: Awadh Ojha Joins AAP

Meanwhile, renowned UPSC coach Awadh Ojha announced his decision to join AAP on Monday. Arvind Kejriwal and leader Manish Sisodia were present at the event.