Congress alliance with AAP? Upto high command, says former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit

NEW DELHI: Amid rumours of a possible alliance between Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), former Delhi Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader Sheila Dikshit said the final call will be taken by party high command.

“Whatever the High Command decides, we will accept it,” said Dikshit.

According to sources, the bitter rivals are exploring the possibility of an electoral alliance for the seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital. Behind-the-door talks are being led by senior party leaders on both sides.

The buzz got traction after the AAP, for the first time, took part in an opposition meeting last week, which was attended by the Congress. Later, senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh attended the swearing-in ceremony of Ashok Gehlot as Rajasthan chief minister.

AAP is unwilling to give up more than two out of seven seats to Congress, sources added. The party has already announced in-charges for six constituencies, who will later be declared as party candidates. In a seat alliance, the party has to withdraw its member the election race. 

Local Congress leaders also not too keen on tying hands with the AAP, reported new agency PTI.

In 2013, the BJP bagged 31 seats and secured 33.07 per cent vote share while the Congress got 24.55 per cent with eight seats. The AAP, in its debut performance, got 29.49 per cent of votes and bagged 28 seats.

In 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP swept the elections scoring 7-0. The AAP came second while the Congress stood third. However, in six seats, the votes of the AAP and the Congress combined were much more than that of the BJP. 

In 2015, the AAP registered a stupendous victory, winning 67 seats and 54.34 per cent vote share while the Congress drew a blank and bagged only 9.65 per cent of vote share. However, the BJP's vote share remained more or less the same to 32.09 per cent, despite the drubbing. ?

In April 2017 Rajouri Garden bypoll, though the BJP wrested the seat from the AAP, the Congress came second and the AAP candidate lost his deposit.

In the 2017 MCD polls conducted in June, the Congress' vote share rose sharply to 21.28 percent, while the AAP bagged around 26 per cent, less than half of what it got in 2015 Assembly polls.