AAP rejects Congress' offer of alliance in any state: Sanjay Singh

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has rejected the Congress proposal for an alliance in Delhi, bringing to an end the long stressed negotiations for a tie-up for the Lok Sabha elections.

AAP leader Sanjay Singh. Image: PTI

NEW DELHI: The Congress was not in favour of an alliance and it seems the party wanted to benefit the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections beginning Thursday, Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh claimed on Wednesday. He said the AAP has rejected the Congress's offer to form an alliance in any state. All the routes of an alliance with the Congress have been closed and the move will benefit the BJP, the Rajya Sabha member said.    "In Punjab, where we have four MPs and 20 MLAs, a single seat is not being given to us," he said. "In Chandigarh, where we got 1.30 lakh votes, they are not giving us a single seat. In Goa, where we got six per cent vote, no seats there either. In Delhi, where the Congress has no presence, they want to give us three seats," Singh said. He said this offer has been rejected by the AAP and henceforth there would be no talks with the Congress on alliance. Last week, the AAP said it will give seats to the Congress in Delhi equivalent to what the latter offers to it in Haryana. He also criticised the Congress for not agreeing to an alliance in Haryana where it has only one MP. "We rejected it. Together we could have defeated the BJP. I don't understand why they are not ready," he wondered. Reacting to Singh's statement, All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of Delhi Congress P C Chacko said the BJP cannot be defeated single-handedly in Delhi by the AAP. "No problem, we welcome his statement," Chacko told PTI. He said as an in-charge of the Delhi Congress, he had started talks with the AAP because both the sides agreed that the BJP cannot be defeated if the two parties contest separately in the Lok Sabha elections. Chacko said the names of Congress candidates will be discussed in the Congress's central election committee (CEC) meeting Thursday. "The announcement of candidates is possible after the meeting," he said. Sources said the possibility of an alliance between the two parties may not be over yet, and the current contradictory statements from them could be a pressure tactic to secure a better deal in seat-sharing. (With inputs from agencies)