Congress rules out alliance with AAP, to go solo in Lok Sabha election

Congress on Friday announced that the party will not form an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) but contest the Lok Sabha election on its own as "AAP is going back on its stand".

Addressing a press conference in the national capital, AICC in-charge for Delhi PC Chacko asserted that the AAP wanted alliance in other states but the Congress is ready for an alliance only in Delhi. He, however, added that the Congress is still ready to form an alliance with the AAP only in Delhi.

The Congress leader further added that the party will announce the seats either on Saturday or Sunday. 

"We are compelled to go on our own as AAP is going back on its stand. AAP wants tie-ups in other states but we are ready for an alliance only in Delhi. AAP wanted to have an alliance in other states also which is not practical. Every state is different; we will announce the seats tomorrow or day after tomorrow. If they are ready for an alliance in Delhi with Congress, we are ready even today," said Chacko. 

The development comes two days after AAP leader Sanjay Singh announced an alliance was not possible because Congress is demanding too many seats in Delhi while unwilling to part with seats elsewhere.

"They don't have any MLA or MP in Delhi but are demanding three seats here. In Punjab, we (AAP) have four MPs and 20 MLAs but Congress does not want to share seats there. Same is the situation in Haryana, Goa and Chandigarh. So, this alliance is not possible," he told news agency ANI on Wednesday.

Singh had also accused that the Congress appears to be in favour of helping BJP in Delhi. "Congress is not in favour of alliance and it seems they want to benefit BJP. AAP will contest and win all seven seats in Delhi," he had said.

While AAP has accused Congress of being too demanding in Delhi but unwilling to reciprocate elsewhere, the party had also lost out on alliance partners in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh. After being wooed for weeks, Mayawati of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had dealt an embarrassing snub to Congress and joined hands with nemesis Akhilesh Yadav and his Samajwadi Party (SP).

Many political analysts felt that an alliance with AAP could be a different electoral tale even though Delhi Congress leaders were quite open in their reservations. Within Congress, there was a rift between Delhi and national leaders over whether to join with AAP or not. Even as Rahul Gandhi tried to silence people within his party opposed to the idea, AAP chief and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had said it matters little to his party whether Congress offers a hand of the alliance.

Sources had told Zee News last week that AAP has put forth conditions for a political alliance - the party wants Congress to openly declare its support to full statehood for Delhi and if Congress agrees to jointly fight in Haryana and Chandigarh.