AAP to go solo in Delhi; ‘ready to take on arrogant BJP, overconfident Cong.’

Delhi’s ruling party slams Cong. for rejecting its offer of pre-poll alliance in Haryana, says doesn’t need anyone’s support; latter asks Kejriwal-led outfit to go for reality check, cites its crushing defeat in Haryana Assembly election

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday said it will go solo in the Delhi Assembly poll as it slammed the Congress for rejecting its offer of a pre-election alliance in Haryana, where the BJP emerged  victorious for the third consecutive time.

Addressing reporters here, AAP Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha said his party is fully capable of defeating the BJP by a huge margin like in the previous three Delhi Assembly polls. “I don’t think AAP needs anyone’s support,” Mr. Chadha said.

Responding to it, Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav asked AAP to go for a reality check, citing its crushing defeat in Haryana. 

AAP drew a blank in the Haryana Assembly election despite fielding its candidates in 89 seats after its talks for an alliance with its INDIA bloc partner Congress collapsed, months after both parties jointly contested the Lok Sabha poll in Haryana and Delhi.

“He [AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal] was contesting by neglecting Delhi. He will meet a similar fate here,” said Mr. Yadav.

However, Mr. Chadha said the Congress turns out to be “weak” when it is locked in a direct contest with the BJP.

“Regional parties like the TMC and the DMK can defeat the BJP on their own. The BJP can be defeated if the Congress contests these polls in alliance with them,” he added.

Earlier in the day, AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar too echoed similar sentiments.

“We are capable of fighting the overconfident Congress and the arrogant BJP alone,” she said talking about the upcoming Delhi poll.

Ms. Kakkar blamed the Congress for “not taking its alliance partners seriously in Haryana and thwarting all efforts made by AAP to stitch up a pre-poll alliance”.

“The Congress has had zero seats in the Delhi Assembly for the past 10 years, yet AAP gave the Congress three Delhi seats in the Lok Sabha poll [held earlier this year]. Still, they did not feel it necessary to take allies along in Haryana,” she said.

AAP and the Congress had fought the Lok Sabha election in the Capital in a 4-3 seat-sharing arrangement against the BJP, which swept the poll winning all seven seats in the Capital.

Published - October 10, 2024 01:37 am IST