Post Sajjan Kumar's conviction, Kejriwal non-committal on alliance with Congress

After Sajjan Kumar’s conviction in 1984 riots, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is not really clear about the alliance with the Congress.

Kejriwal did not rule out the possibility of joining hands with the Congress but remained indecisive.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Kejriwal welcomed the judgment on the 1984 riots
• Earlier, Kejriwal had justified why ‘mahagathbandhan’ is the need of the hour
• AAP has already announced that the party will run in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls

There are a lot of rumours doing rounds in the political circle about the possible alliance of Congress and Aam Aadmi Party for the 2019 general election in New Delhi.

But, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal is so far non-committal to work out alliance chances with Congress. Especially, after Sajjan Kumar’s conviction in 1984 riots, the party is not really clear about the alliance with the grand old party.

While speaking to India Today TV, Kejriwal welcomed the judgment on the 1984 riots but when he was asked about his plans of joining hands with the Congress for the 2019 election, he did not rule out the possibility but remained indecisive on the issue. Bata denge (Will tell you later), he replied.

On Sunday (December 16), while talking to media Kejriwal justified why mahagathbandhan’ is the need of the hour. He clearly stated that the Narendra Modi and Amit Shah duo is very dangerous for the country and its future. If BJP comes to power in 2019, then once again they will destroy the Constitution. This is the duty of every patriotic citizen to vote out this dangerous duo’ and for this we will do everything that is required.

It will be interesting to see whether AAP will form a coalition with Congress after the election results in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh. The AAP has already announced that the party will run in the 2019 Lok Sabha election in New Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Goa. The AAP is also preparing to run in the Lok Sabha election in UP as claimed by the party's Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh. Out of the seven seats in New Delhi, the AAP has already announced constituency in-charges for 5 seats. These constituency in-charges will be eventually declared the party candidates. If the alliance happens, then the AAP has to ask its candidates, who have already started campaigning, to withdraw from the fray.

Senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh told India Today TV that there is a need for an anti-BJP formation to checkmate the BJP. But on the question of a tie-up with the Congress, he said that the stage’ is yet to come, and the Congress has not approached it to be part of an alliance. He also said that AAP is going to fight election on all 7 seats in New Delhi and will not going to alliance.

In 2013, the BJP bagged 31 seats and secured 33.07% vote share while the Congress got 24.55% with 8 seats. The AAP, in its debut performance got 29.49% vote and bagged 28 seats.

In 2014, in the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP swept the elections scoring 7-0. The AAP came second while the Congress stood third.

In 2015, the AAP registered a stupendous victory, winning 67 seats and 54.34% vote share while the Congress drew a blank and bagged only 9.65% vote share. However, the BJP's vote share remained more or less the same.

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

SOURCE