AAP says ‘no’ to alliance with Congress only in Delhi

The Asian Age.

Metros, Delhi

Senior party leader Sanjay Singh said they have agreed to all seat-sharing arrangements that Congress proposed, yet the grand old party backtracked.

Deputy chief minister and senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia with party MP Sanjay Singh at a press meet in New Delhi on Saturday. (Photo: ASIAN AGE)

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday said that an alliance just in Delhi is not possible after Congress refused to have a tieup anywhere else.

When asked his opinion on the 4:3 seat sharing formula proposed by Congress, Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said that giving three seats to Congress in the national capital would mean “giving three seats to BJP.”

He said Congress first proposed a 6:3:1 seat-sharing formula to AAP in Haryana, where six seats would be for Congress, three for Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), and one seat for AAP. “Congress has zero presence in Delhi. Even then it wants nearly half of the seats. With that logic, Congress should form an alliance in Punjab and Haryana too. We have 20 MLAs and 4 MPs in Punjab, why can’t an alliance be formed with us?” Mr Sisodia asked.

Senior party leader Sanjay Singh said they have agreed to all seat-sharing arrangements that Congress proposed, yet the grand old party backtracked.

“After discussions with our alliance partner JJP, in Haryana, we agreed to it. However, Congress refused and said they can’t give more than two seats to JJP and proposed a 7:2:1 formula,” said Mr Singh, who was negotiating with Congress.

“JJP chief Dushyant Chautala agreed to that even. But then Congress backtracked on Friday night, saying there is no possibility of any alliance anywhere except Delhi,” he said. Mr Singh said that JJP had proposed a 4:4:2 formula with four seats for Congress, four for JJP, and two for AAP. This was outright rejected by Congress.

Sources said that even though the possibility of formation of an alliance has been completely closed in Haryana, AAP is still open to alliance in the national capital on a 5:2 formula, with five seats for the ruling party.

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